Italian court: No rape happened since woman didn’t scream

ROME – Italy’s justice minister has reportedly asked officials to look into a case in which a court acquitted a man of raping a woman because she didn’t scream.

The Italian news agency ANSA said Thursday that Minister Andrea Orlando has asked ministry inspectors to begin checking into the case.

ANSA said a court in Turin had ruled last month that the woman’s saying “Enough!” to her colleague who allegedly raped her constituted too weak a reaction to prove that she was sexually attacked. The ruling specified she didn’t scream or ask for help.

Centre-right Forza Italia opposition lawmaker Annagrazia Calabria decried the ruling, saying, “Certainly, you cannot punish the personal reaction of a woman terrified by what is happening to her.”

The ruling has also triggered an outcry by women’s groups.