In a landmark decision, an Italian judge has ruled that the parents of five teenage boys found guilty of repeatedly raping an adolescent girl must pay her 450,000 euros due to their failure to give their sons "an education in feelings and emotions". Judge Bianca La Monica awarded the damages against all the boys' natural parents, including those who had separated from their partners and no longer had custody of their sons. The victim, who cannot be named due to her minority status, was twelve years old when the five boys forced her to have sex with them on various occasions between 2001 and 2003. After the rapes, she left school and has not returned.
In making her ruling, Judge La Monica concluded that the rapists, who also cannot be named due to their minority status, appeared to have no understanding of the gravity of their offenses. Their testimony showed no evidence of significant empathy towards the victim and the impact that their actions had on her. Only when pressed about the effect of their behaviour on the girl did they show "glimmers of awareness". Judge La Monica argued that this lack of empathy showed that the offenders had not been brought up ""in a context of respect for the feelings, wishes and bodies of others". While the parents of the offenders presented evidence that they were good parents, the lack of empathy shown in their children's behaviour was considered to be the crucial factor. The decision was deemed to apply to non-custodial parents as well as custodial parents on the grounds that they had the right, as well as the duty, to monitor their children's upbringing.
The ruling is considered to establish an important precedent which may lead to heavy fines for all parents of children committing violent acts.
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