Alleged rapists acquitted, complainant too mannish - Italy *MNHQ edited title*

[Persifleur]

Dear God in heaven. And the judges were women.
About 200 people protested outside a court of appeal in the Italian city of Ancona after it was revealed that two men were cleared of rape charges partly because the alleged victim looked “too masculine” to be a target of attraction.

The reasons behind the 2017 ruling came to light only on Friday, when Italy’s highest appeal court scrapped the lower court’s verdict and ordered a retrial.
www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/men-acquitted-of-charges-because-victim-judged-too-masculine

I have no words. How utterly disgusting.

Just horrendous

Truly appalling

I read this - appalling.At least there is going to be a retrial.
(And who thinks rape is about attraction? )

How awful. I’m so sorry for this woman. I’m so mad at this too.

That poor woman.

Yes, I hope at least it provokes a lot of thought about that old canard, still too prevalent, that rape is about attraction.

Too masculine, too feminine, too ugly, too pretty, too naive, too experienced...
Do we have a thread for excuses for male violence/disbelieving women?

As well as the racist element - I posted too soon because I scarcely have words to process my outrage at so many aspects. And thank heavens there'll be a retrial - but will the victim have to give evidence? And will those acting in judgment be any less prejudiced than the first lot?

Doctoress Yes, we should have a thread on that. Add: drunk enough to be disinhibited but not too drunk to consent, accused too drunk to recognise lack of consent, lack of injury to demonstrate resistance, injury sustained because she liked it rough, and accused tripped and his penis just sort of fell into sleeping complainant's vagina.

Did they check if she was wearing a lacy thong or granny pants too? Fucking idiots.

I hate this world.

A terrible story. The woman had to return to Peru as she was ostracised by the community for reporting the men. This in 2017 .

Lest that last defense seem incredible, check out Ehsan Abdulaziz's acquittal. (Can't seem to post link but the Independent comes up first on my search with the immortal headline: Ehsan Abdulaziz: Saudi millionaire who said he 'accidentally tripped and penetrated' teenage girl cleared of rape

Jeez, Whatsnew, that'another zugzwang isn't it? Either she was asking for it or wearing passion-killers.
FFS.

No no no no no. NO.

Fuck's sake, when will people get - rape is not about sexual attraction. It's about power. It's possible she was raped because she 'dared' to look mannish and they wanted to humiliate her for not fulfilling their idea of 'womanhood'

Yes, Echobelly 'corrective rape' is all too appallingly a thing. They were right, the second wave feminists, who said rape was all about power. There may be various triggers but ultimately it's about power.

Hideous

I fucking despair.
Unbelievable

Why on earth has the title been edited from 'rapists' to 'alleged rapists'?

Read the article.

The men were "convicted of raping a woman of Peruvian origin, who was 22 at the time of the attack in 2015, by a court of first instance in 2016. "

"They were then acquitted by the Ancona appeals court, with the judges’ reasoning document including a passage that said the woman’s story was not credible enough as she resembled a man and was therefore unappealing."

In the first instance the men aren't named, so there's no libel, and in the second, they have been convicted of rape, so it's reasonable to refer to them as rapists.

The title has been edited?! Oh I’m starting to get a bit disappointed around here...

Sorry, it was at my request. I didn't do it lightly. First, their current status is acquitted. Second, though they aren't named, they can be identified through the report. Third, the world is full of unprincipled chancers.
And scumbags.