Italy Rules That Public Masturbation Is Not A Crime

After a 69-year-old man was caught “taking out his penis” and “practicing autoeroticism” in front of students at a local university, Italy’s highest court had the loaded task of deciding his punishment. In making their decision, the judges noted the fact that the Italian parliament passed a law last year decriminalizing the offense of lurking in places frequented by girls in order to be seen masturbating. It was a hard-won fight, but ultimately the court ruled that men can masturbate in public, even if they do it with the clear aim of being seen by other people. Not exactly the ciao bella we want to hear. If Italy suddenly sees a sharp decrease in women-focused tourism, we might know why.