Masturbating in public, if it’s out of the sight of minors, is not an illegal act, the Supreme Court of Italy has ruled in a case concerning a 69-year-old man who was caught masturbating on a bench in front of a group of college students, the Christian Post reports.
A lower court had convicted the man, identified only as Pietro L, for performing the act in front of students on the University of Catania campus in southern Italy, sentencing him to three months in prison and ordering him to pay a fine of $3,600, according to documents filed with Supreme Court, CNN reports.
According to the amended law, masturbation done in the presence of a minor is punishable with imprisonment of up to four-and-a-half years. However, the act might incur an administrative fine even if not witnessed by a minor.
The apex court has therefore sent Pietro’s case back to local courts in Catania, and he will still be fined between $4,000 and $6,000.
The Supreme Court’s decision, which was delivered in June but disclosed only last week, was criticized by opposition politicians in that country.
cnakalungi@ugchristiannews.com
