Italian judges rejected a rape complaint because the victim was ugly

The Italian Ministry of Justice on Wednesday ordered a preliminary inquiry into the decision of a court of appeal that dismissed a verdict in a rape case, in part because the jury had argued that the wife of 22 years was too ugly to be a credible victim. The decision provoked contempt and even a protest Monday in the court of Ancona, where protesters shouted "Shame!" And were carrying placards with messages saying "outrage".

The appeal decision was rendered in 2017 by a jury composed exclusively of women, but the reason for the decision was only known on March 5, when a major court overturned and ordered a new trial. The court of nullity announced on Wednesday that next month it would set out its own reasons for ordering a new trial.

For the Attorney General of Ancona, Sergio Sottani, who challenged the sentence, it must be avoided that "the words used may constitute another form of violence against women". In addition, he rejected the fact that "the lack of badual attraction of the alleged rapist by the victim may represent an element of support for the lack of accountability." "These words are a new affront to the victim, they have nothing to do with the search for the truth," said Luisa Rizzitelli of the feminist organization. Rebel network.

Initially, two Peruvian men were convicted of raping a Peruvian woman in Ancona in 2015, but the Italian court of appeal overturned the verdict and acquitted them on the grounds that it did not happen. was not a reliable witness. In part of the decision, the court stated that the suspects did not find her attractive and even seemed "a man", so she could not be a credible victim of rape.

Cinzia Molinaro, the woman's attorney, said that the case before the court of revocation of judgments called into question a series of problems to annul the victim's physical appearance verdict. The appeal decision quoted one of the suspects as saying that he considered the woman ugly and on his phone he had it like "Viking".

Molinaro said the woman, who has since returned to Peru, suffered such a trauma during the rape required stitches on the bads, reported the AP agency. The Justice Ministry said it would proceed with the "necessary preliminary inquiries" on the appeal of the decision. Molinaro said the ministry could send investigators to court to check if there had been omissions in the sentence, even though the case was still under appeal.

S.D.