Stealing food by the poor not a crime

[+OverSword]

Rome (AFP) - Italy's highest court has acquitted a homeless man of stealing cheese and sausages, ruling that the theft of small amounts of food by the hungry poor is not a crime.

Ukrainian Roman Ostriakov was caught in 2011 pocketing 4.07 euros ($4.72) worth of food in a supermarket in Genoa, after a customer spotted him and reported him to a member of staff, Italian media reported on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a 100 euro fine.

But the verdict was appealed on grounds that Ostriakov had been stopped before he had actually left the supermarket, and at a second appeal, Italy's court of cassation acquitted him.

It was clear the defendant "could not live without feeding himself, so acted out of necessity," the court said.

More here

[freetoroam]

Rome (AFP) - Italy's highest court has acquitted a homeless man of stealing cheese and sausages, ruling that the theft of small amounts of food by the hungry poor is not a crime.

Ukrainian Roman Ostriakov was caught in 2011 pocketing 4.07 euros ($4.72) worth of food in a supermarket in Genoa, after a customer spotted him and reported him to a member of staff, Italian media reported on Tuesday.

He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a 100 euro fine.

But the verdict was appealed on grounds that Ostriakov had been stopped before he had actually left the supermarket, and at a second appeal, Italy's court of cassation acquitted him.

It was clear the defendant "could not live without feeding himself, so acted out of necessity," the court said.

More here

Hiya O/S, we are already on it. Will leave the rest to the mods.

[rashore]

Yep, this has already been posted here: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=294131

~thread closed~