Italian Protester Faces Sexual Harassment Charge For Kissing Cop
Nina de Chiffre, a 20-year-old Italian student protester is facing sexual harassment charges after a photograph of her kissing a riot police officer began making its way around social media.
The demonstration occurred in November, against the construction of a northern rail link in Italy. At the protest, De Chiffre suddenly kissed, then licked the officer’s helmet visor. The cop, by all accounts, did not seem to mind in the least bit, nor did he try to prevent his helmet from being removed.
That was the end of it until the Italian police union (COISP) said that this was in fact sexual assault. The COISP filed a complaint according to Italy’s La Repubblica.
Franco Maccari, COISP’s general secretary, said that they “fully [expects] an investigation to start”, since they “have accused the protester of sexual violence and insulting a public official,”
Seeing the matter in a positive light is not on the cards, apparently, because “if the policeman had kissed her, world war three would have broken out,” Maccari continued. “Or what if I had patted her on the behind? She would have been outraged. So if she does that to a man on duty, should it be tolerated?”
“A kiss is a positive thing,” Maccari explained, “but in this context, between these two people, it was just disrespect.”
According to Maccari, it was “hardly a peace gesture, more a provocation.”
De Chiffre’s own explanation of her actions may surprise her supporters as well, as she notes: “No peace message… I would hang all these disgusting pigs upside down”. Maccari asked “what if I had patted her on the behind? She would have been outraged. So if she does that to a man on duty, should it be tolerated?”
Do De Chiffre’s comments justify the charge, or are they simply her voicing frustration at being charged for kissing a man who didn’t seem to mind in the least? What are your thoughts?
(Article by James Achisa)
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