Symposium—Beyond Prosecution: Sexual Assault Victim’s Rights in Theory and Practice Symposium
In February 1998, the Italian Supreme Court issued a decision to overturn a rape conviction in part because the victim was wearing jeans. The Court’s opinion stated that it is difficult to remove jeans worn by another, and therefore the victim must have assisted with the partial removal of her jeans and could not have been raped by the defendant, Cristiano. The reaction to this decision was immediate and unanimous outrage. Alessandra Mussolini organized a protest; she and other female members of Italy’s Parliament wore jeans to work and held placards reading “Jeans: An Alibi for Rape. ” Kitty Calavita describes many newspaper reports, editorials, and letters to the editor in Italian media sources. Political leaders called the decision shameful, sick, and ”ridiculous.” Scholars have described the opinion as ”anachronistic” and have stated that the opinion consists of biases and stereotypes. . . .