A soccer fan who groped a live television journalist after a game was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The scenes shared on social networks allow the journalist Greta Beccaglia to be seen when she was doing a report for a local television in Tuscany, in front of the Carlo Castellani stadium in Empoli, after a Serie A match against Fiorentina in November of the previous year.
While she is speaking on camera from one moment to the next, two fans pass by, one of whom has a drink in one hand and with the other, from one moment to the next, he passes by her and touches her buttocks.
The woman was obviously surprised and says, Excuse me? But the man goes on his way and does not respond to the request. The images went viral and sparked a wave of outrage in Italy.
One of the events that also generated criticism was the reaction of the woman’s colleague, who was in the study. When his colleague noticed that the journalist answered the man from the microphone “you can’t do that”, the man said through the microphone an expression recommending the woman not to take that seriously and not get angry, with an almost reprimanding tone.
Those responsible for Serie A also condemned the attack.
When the identity of the attacker became known on social networks, they published photos of the man, accusing him of his actions “The abuser is 43 years old, his name is Andrea Serrani and he has a 6-year-old daughter. Serrani: “Now I’m in the pillory and I don’t think I deserve it. Poor star!” a user tweeted, along with the number #GretaBeccaglia.
Sentence
At the end of a quick judicial process, Andrea Serrani was sentenced to those 18 months in prison for sexual assault, with a postponement in serving the sentence.
According to the Italian media I will run Adriatic, the judge would have ordered the suspension of the sentence for five years, subjecting it to the participation of the defendant in recovery courses.
In addition, Serrani must compensate the journalist. Initially he will make a provisional payment of 15 thousand euros, about 75 million pesos. Then he will have to make other compensation, for a total of 10 thousand euros, about 50 million pesos, in favor of the national order of journalists and the national press association and the Tuscany region.
Opinions against the sentence
Some Internet users celebrated the sentence “The fan who groped the journalist is condemned #GretaBeccaglia: You must follow recovery courses in an anti-violence center. In short, an exemplary punishment ”, wrote the user Matteo Capponi on Twitter.
Lorenzo Tosa, Italian journalist wrote forcefully in his account of Facebook “It wasn’t a”goliardade” (kind of a funny gesture) as some tried to justify it, but sexual violence. And for this reason, the judge has just sentenced to 1 year and 6 months the man – I’m just saying – who abused the Toscana TV presenter Greta Beccaglia live with a stab in the ass on the night of November 27, 2021, after Empoli-Fiorentina”
Tosa also said that it was an advance that sexual violence was called by its name: “The man will have to compensate Beccaglia with a provision of 10,000 euros, waiting to establish the exact amount… But, above all, this sentence sanctioned a fundamental concept: harassment is not called goliardia but sexual violence. And it’s worth it. You pay a high price. Finally!” celebrated the journalist.
Other users expressed surprise at the sentence “Really? Madness…”, wrote a tweeter who identifies himself as Stefano Caligione on the same social network.
Italy: more than a year in prison for a fan who groped a journalist on live broadcast