Judge in Italy says groping is only a crime if it lasts more than 10 seconds

• A judge in Italy ruled that groping that lasts less than 10 seconds isn't criminal.
• The ruling was in response to a case in which a school caretaker groped a 17-year-old student.

A judge in Italy has ruled that groping is not a crime if it lasts less than 10 seconds.

The ruling this week was in response to an April 2022 incident involving a 17-year-old student at a Rome high school and a 66-year-old school caretaker, identified as Antonio Avola, according to BBC News.

The woman, now 18 and identified only as Laura, was walking up some steps to class when the incident occurred, the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported. She felt her pants fall down, a hand touching her buttocks, and then a man grabbing her underwear, BBC News reported.

According to the media outlet, the student turned around and saw Avola, who said: "Love, you know I was joking."

The student reported him to the police.

Avola later admitted to touching the student without her consent, but said it was a joke, BBC News reported.

The groping lasted for between five and 10 seconds, per Corriere Della Sera.

A public prosecutor in Rome had asked for a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Avola, but he was acquitted of sexual assault charges.

A judge ruled that the groping "does not constitute a crime" because it lasted less than 10 seconds, per BBC News.

The controversial ruling has caused uproar in Italy, with the term "palpata breve" — a brief groping — becoming part of a video trend on TikTok and Instagram, in which Italians simulate groping their intimate parts for 10 seconds straight while staring at the camera.

The trend was started by actor Paolo Camilli, who was in "The White Lotus," with social media influencers and other Italian celebrities following suit, Corriere Della Sera reported.

Speaking to Corriere Della Sera, Laura said she hopes prosecutors appeal the ruling, adding that the decision has made her feel both angry and betrayed.

Laura also told the newspaper that she fears the ruling will prevent other victims of sexual harassment from reporting it to the police.

"After this decision, if a girl is groped, she will end up thinking that it is not worth reporting violence," she said.