Outrage in Italy erupted over a 2019 case in which a 17-year-old foreign student was sexually assaulted in a car. Shockingly, the initial trial acquitted the man and released him, with the judge claiming that because the victim was not a virgin, she should have anticipated what might happen. This reasoning sparked nationwide fury.
According to the Daily Mail, the victim had been visiting Italy for a study program. She went out with a friend and two men, but when her friend and one man left, she was left alone in the car with the perpetrator. Despite her clear resistance, he assaulted her.
At the time, the court cited that the victim “had prior sexual experience and therefore could imagine what might happen,” and claimed she “did not resist or call for help.” The verdict drew immediate criticism from the victim and her lawyers, who stated that she repeatedly told the man she did not consent and even tried to push him away.
Italian politician Laura Boldrini condemned the ruling, saying, “Society must understand: without consent, it’s not okay.” The case eventually reached the Ancona Court of Appeal, and after six years of legal proceedings, the man was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison. Victim’s lawyer Fabio Maria Galiani remarked, “Justice has been served. The first trial took us back to the Middle Ages, now we are back in 2025.”
