London – Italian justice broke the standard of impunity for crimes against journalists by awarding a fan who attacked TV reporter Greta Beccaglia during a live broadcast, a total of 25,000 euros (R$137,000) in damages and 18 months in prison, suspended by five years.
The judge decided to suspend the detention of the owner of the restaurant, the aggressor Andrea Serrani, on the condition that prevention, psychological help and recovery courses for persons convicted of sexual violence are completed.
He was also removed from the stadiums for 3 years.
Attack on live broadcast journalist
TV Toscana’s Beccaglia was groped by Serrani while passing live at the Castellani Stadium between Fiorentina and Empoli in the city of the same name on November 27, 2021.
While commenting on the result of the match, 46-year-old Serrani approached, slapped his butt, and continued walking.
“Sorry, you can’t do that,” Greta protested. The recording went viral.
Empoli Partili – Fiorentina, all stadiums #Empolijournalist Greta Beccaglia diretta dai stata molestata in tifosi
“Non puoi mouse questo,” Giornalista replies. pic.twitter.com/PQY0stQFu8— Sky tg24 (@SkyTG24) November 28, 2021
Fans were not the only ones criticized for the attack on the journalist. broadcasting server, Giorgio Micheletti TV was suspended from Tuscany for trying to downplay the event. He was accused of not supporting the reporter.
Also read | The video where the reporter is harassed in Italy exposes the harassment against women in sports; anchor that does not support is suspended
A month later, Micheletti announced on television his decision to quit sports journalism, while assuring that events did not influence the decision.
With the sentence imposed on 20 December, Greta Beccaglia will receive compensation of 15,000 euros (R$ 82,000).
The person responsible for the attack on the journalist will also have to pay 10,000 euros (R$54,000) split between the journalists. The Journalists’ Order and the Italian Journalists’ National Association (FNSI) filed a civil suit.
In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Beccaglia said the decision was “a victory for all women”.
“No one has the right to violate our rights, to see our body as a trophy, to humiliate us, to humiliate us, to see us as an object. Nobody.”
After the attack, which took place two days after the International Day for the End of Violence against Women, the football players took the field at the Castellani Stadium with red signs on their faces to draw attention to the scourge of domestic violence as part of the “Give It Up” campaign. red to violence against women”.
The European Federation of Journalists said it hoped the decision would curb sexual assaults against journalists.
#Italy: A football fan sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 6 years and sentenced to pay 10,000 Euros for groping TV reporter Greta Beccaglia during a live report. We hope this decision will prevent further sexual assaults against journalists.https://t.co/y8RO1X4Hfd
— EFJ (@EFJEUROPE) 22 December 2022
Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI) said: “We invite all our colleagues to report any form of intimidation, threat or attack, as each of these incidents is an attack on all journalists, not just at the individual level.”
IFJ and EFJ Secretary Generals Anthony Bellanger and Ricardo Guterrez welcomed the sentencing but noted the harassment:
“The situation of thousands of journalists, especially women, is still very precarious, and we urge the media to develop robust policies and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence to properly deal with workplace violence,” the statement said. .
Despite winning in court, Greta Beccaglia said she continued to receive threats online more than a year after the attack, with people claiming the fan was just joking.
The journalist said that he would donate the compensation to organizations defending women’s rights.
Also read | International Federation calls for combating online harassment of journalists on Day to End Violence Against Women
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.