The sentence acquitting a Catania professor of harassment charges

The grounds state that 'evidence has certainly emerged of predatory or sexual behaviour towards the female students whom the professor chose as the object of his sexual desires, but the court must distinguish on a case-by-case basis whether the behaviour is subsumed under the charged offence'.

One of the girls, bent over to pick up her exam booklet from the floor, recounted that the professor approached her physically harassing her but the incident was not deemed credible because the classroom was full of people at the time.

Another reported that while she was in Torrisi's room, 'he threw himself at me'.

However, the judges stated that 'it is not clear what it means to throw oneself at each other and whether this involved the sexual sphere of the offended person'.

And again: 'If there is no dissent, there is no violence'.

On the birthday of one of the girls accusing the teacher, the teacher allegedly physically harassed her. But according to the judges 'he wanted to stop her to wish her a happy birthday. It seems unlikely that, wanting to grope her erogenous zone, the teacher did not make any sexual innuendo' nor did he 'use his fingers to grope'.

Among the charges were heavy insults directed at female students. The public prosecutor's office will appeal against the acquittal.