This is just creepy. The Supreme Court of Italy has ruled that a man in his 40s who forced his 14-year-old stepdaughter to have oral sex with him should be able to reduce the three year, four month sentence he received, because the child had already had sex with other men. Here’s an article about it from SwissInfo.
The court said in its ruling Friday that the child’s “personality, from a sexual point of view, is much more developed than what would be normally expected of a girl of her age. It is therefore fair to argue that (the damage for the victim) would be lower if the abused girl was not a virgin.”
This is the same court (all male, by the way) that has ruled that “an isolated and impulsive” pat on a woman’s bottom at work did not constitute sexual harassment, and it returned a verdict that a woman could not have been raped because she was wearing skin-tight jeans.
The ruling has generated immediate and widespread condemnation. An advocate for abused women called the ruling “inconceivable” and said the court had set back the law by 50 years. The granddaughter of Benito Mussolini called it “shameful” and “devastating.”
THat is so sad. We must show kids we stand up for them or they will grow up to be frightened If I had not had the support of grownups and the authorities as a child. I would never have grown up strong and a well balanced mother and volunteer for child abuse. I believe in the system or should I say I believe there are good judges and lawyers who do care, even if some have become hardened or callous to childrens rights!! Thank you for allowing me to give my comments. I work at childrens hospital.
Mark Samuel, Nurse Sex Offender Convicted
On Sept 8,2005 RN:Mark Samuel was sentenced to five years in Jail with all but two years suspended,having been convicted in January 2004 of unlawful sexual contact with a 6 year-old girl . Mark Samuel counseled the girls mother. when the counseling ended , the three became friends attending family fuctions together. The violations occurred during sleepovers at the Nurses residence during the summer of 2003. Mark Samuel has been released from prison and is now at risk to the community of North Bay Ontario Mark Samuel emyployed 2007 for Assertive community treatment Team North Bay, ON
Northeast Mental Health Center
P.O. Box 3010 4700
Highway 11 N
North Bay, ON,CA