Italy: Women in jeans can be raped

Off Our Backs, Jan/Feb 2002 by Elliot, Farar, Douglas, Carol Anne, Kulla, Bridget, Maclay, Amanda, Et al

Italy's top court on November 27 upheld a man's conviction for raping his ex-wife. He had claimed that he could not have raped her because she had been wearing jeans, a claim that was based on a court ruling in another case that a woman wearing jeans could not be raped because her cooperation in undressing ,was required. The high court had overturned that ruling two years ago.

In this case, the court said, "the jeans were removed because of fear of further violence, so the argument of the defendant is totally incoherent."