Fury as judges clear school caretaker of sexual assault because he only groped girl for less than 10 seconds
A JUDGE has sparked national outcry in Italy after clearing a school caretaker of sexually assaulting a student because it “lasted less than 10 seconds”.
Antonio Avola, 66, put his hand down the trousers of a 17-year-old girl before touching her buttocks and pulling on her underwear.
The teen was walking up a staircase at a school in Rome with a friend when Avola groped her.
But after she turned around in horror, Avola told her: “Love, you know I was joking.”
The youngster reported the incident, which happened in April 2022, to cops.
He admitted to touching the girl without her consent – but insisted it was a “joke”.
Italian prosecutors demanded Avola be handed a three-and-a-half-year sentence for sexual assault – but he was this week cleared.
A judge acquitted the caretaker after ruling groping under 10 seconds “does not constitute a crime”, adding that Avola had performed an “awkward manoeuvre without lust”.
The teen has blasted the judge’s decision, saying decision “is not justice”.
She told Corriere della Sera newspaper: “The judges ruled that he was joking? Well, it was no joke to me.
“The caretaker came up from behind without saying anything. He put his hands down my trousers and inside my underwear.
“He groped my bottom. Then, he pulled me up – hurting my private parts. For me, this is not a joke. This is not how an old man should ‘joke’ with a teenager.
“That handful of seconds was more than enough for the caretaker to make me feel his hands on me.”
The controversial ruling has since sparked a tirade of backlash on social media from outraged Italian women and men.
Many have shared videos of themselves touching their intimate parts in silence for 10 seconds in a bid to highlight how long the period of time can feel.
Among those to post such a clip include White Lotus actor Paolo Camilli, and the hashtag #10secondi has been trending on Instagram and TikTok.
Influencer Francesco Cicconetti wrote on TikTok: “Who decides that 10 seconds is not a long time? Who times the seconds, while you’re being harassed?
“Men don’t have the right to touch women’s bodies, not even for a second – let alone 5 or 10.”