Bar proprietor perpetrated sexual misconduct, subsequent employer dismissed her.
Down and Dirty First Job Tale: A Harassment Saga
From a simple sandwich-making gig to a toxic work environment, this 20-year-old girl's first job turned into a nightmare. Tainted by lewd comments, unwelcome advances, and eventual termination, her story is a harsh reminder of the reality faced by many young workers.
The verdict, handed down by the Fourth Criminal Section, President Potito Giorgio, is a stark contrast to the brief duration of the ordeal — a sentence of one year and five months for the bar owner. This decision was upheld by the Turin Court of Appeal, leaving the defendant with only an option for an appeal to the Supreme Court.
But the judge's decision emphasizes the girl's credibility, asserting that the owner "forcibly" and violently pressured the new waitress to submit to sexual acts. He "touched her intimately" and offended her with crude language.
Two years ago, the girl recounts her ordeal: "I discovered the job post on Facebook. The owner hired me, sans contract. The interview took place in his bar. I was prepping sandwiches with his partner, and then cleaning. After a few days, he started harassing me during breaks when we were alone. The conversations were always of a sexual nature. He told me what he wanted me to do, that I should go with older men like him, not with my peers. He said he wanted to deflower a younger girl to 'shake the world'. After the verbal humiliations, the groping and touching began. **While I was washing dishes or when I was at the stove. He would hug me and touch me. I demanded a change in his attitude, stating a boss shouldn't behave that way with his employee. I was petrified of losing my job because it was my first one. And I was deeply embarrassed."
But the harassment persisted. The 20-year-old confided in a friend, who suggested she speak to the owner's partner. Subsequently, she was fired.
At this point, the girl broke down and confided in her parents. The next day, her father and boyfriend stormed into the establishment, threatening the owner, narrowly avoiding a physical altercation, managed by the carabinieri. But this incident, the judges explain, cannot excuse the defendant, who argued, "I cared for this girl like a daughter. She misconstrued the slightly amorous jokes I shared with customers." The judges dismiss these remarks as anything but innocent jokes, deeming them as behaviors worthy of a one-year-and-five-month prison sentence. The defendant is also expected to compensate the victim.
[1] Source: La Repubblica, "Parish Priest Accused of Sexual Violence Against Minors Arrested in Brescia," link
[3] Source: ANSA, "Rise in Domestic Violence Reported Calls during lockdown," link
- Despite the shocking incident, the girl's first job experience in the realm of health-and-wellness, specifically within the food service industry, unveiled a grim picture of sexual-health issues that still persist in general-news contexts.
- The sentence passed by the court, part of the crime-and-justice sector, emphasizes the seriousness of the crime committed by the bar owner, whose inappropriate behavior included unwanted physical advances and offensive language related to sexual acts.
- The high profile case involving a bar owner who sexually harassed a young waitress is a stark reminder of the prevalence of crime in various sectors, such as health-and-wellness and general-news, and the need for stricter enforcement of laws pertaining to sexual-harassment, particularly in workplaces.
