Italian Supreme Court: saying a man has ‘no balls’ is a crime
No mention of hand gestures, but it’s no laughing matter in Italy. Now a civil court will determine just how much the insult will cost.
New York Daily News: Size might not matter, but Italy’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that it is a crime to insult a man by saying he has “no balls.”
The decision arose out of a rather contentious courtroom argument between two cousins, a justice of the peace named only as Alberto G. who handed the insult to Vittorio G., a lawyer, in the southern Italian city of Potenza, Italy’s ANSA news service reports.
“Apart from the vulgarity of the term used, the expression definitely also has an injurious quality,” read the ruling of Maurizio Fumo, according to the agency.
“It refers not only to the target’s lack of virility but also to his weakness of character, lack of determination, competence and coherence – virtues that, rightly or wrongly, are still identified as pertaining to the male gender,” the agency quoted.
All this, despite what the court called a “popularization” of the expression.
Now, a civil court will decide on how much Vittorio must be paid by his cousin.
I guess the Italians don’t tolerate bad language in court!
DCG
Just what Italy should be doing, while the country teeters on the brink of a Greek-Spain-like debt-apocalypse, with most Italians evading taxes.
‘Gotta wonder what happens if they call someone a lawyer ?
Instead of telling a man he has no balls how about telling him he plays like a girl. Because that would cause a fight. But saying he has no balls is actually saying remember your a man and stop acting like a girl. It’s a little more civil. Man to man. That’s the way it is. You got some real pussies in Italy. That’s the way it is.
For pity’s sake, don’t let Bloomberg get wind of this…
Thank you DCG for this interesting post! I am always very frightened of the judicial systems in other countries. As inefficient our judicial system can be, I would still rather be subject to it.
Seems like Italy is concentrating on the wrong issues!