An Italian judge has sparked media outrage after discharging a 46-year-old sexual offender accused of raping a woman on her hospital bed.
The judge who discharged and acquitted the accused sexual predator based his judgement on the victim’s failure to scream for help while she was sexually violated.
The victim who noted in her case against the sexual offender that she said ‘enough’ was told by the court that her defense against the offender was too weak a reaction to prove rape.
Judge Diamante Minucci while ruling on the case said: “There was no crying, no screaming. You didn’t push him away. We have to ask why?”
Although the victim’s lawyers argued that the silence was a representation of the victim’s ‘painful situation’, the judge threw the defense counsel’s argument out as it pronounced the alleged offender free.
The Justice minister, Andrea Orlando in reaction to the media outrage in Italy over the judgement has ordered an investigation into the case.
The MP Annagrazia Calabria, also in reaction said: “Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.”