Yes. But you have to fight hard to get the to take action because from their perspective there is little to be gained.
I was walking to town last spring when a man attempted to sexually assault me, he was trying to force me off the road into a field with his vespa. His intent was clearly stated.
I went straight to the carabiniare, they drove me to where it happened, he was still there, arrested and charged.
It will be years before this gets to court, by which time I don't believe for a second he will still be in the country.
They were very sympathetic (apart from expecting me to get in their car with him after his arrest to be driven back to the station, they just couldn't see the issue I had with this set up) and as frustrated as myself that the charge could not reflect the seriousness of the crime, nor that the less aggressive female members of the community could be protected from him.
He will rape somebody, of that neither I nor they had any doubt.
Which is why I reported it, at least if he does hurt some poor women and gets caught there will be a previous complaint to back up her allegations.
I remember when a rapist was let off here because the judge said you couldn't rape somebody wearing jeans, I just wanted to make sure that no victim of this toe rag was standing in that court room alone with no other voice to back her up left wide open to that kind of attitude.
My advice is to make one hell of a fuss and insist, (ask for the officers to identify themselves so you can make a complaint if they seem uninterested in perusing things, you have the right to make a denuncia, they don't get to decide for you if it is worth it), to make sure that, despite the rather wet lettuce slap on the wrist they get for what they did to you, if and when they escalate there is something on file to support their future victims.
I'll get no justice for something that stole my ability to walk around in the middle of the day without fear, which haunts me at night with what could have been if I hadn't been round the block a few times at 40, bolshie and extremely lucky that a car past at the right time on a secluded road.
He is only about 20 years old, but it was far, far too practiced a strategy to have been the first time, yet there was nothing mentioning anything similar on his very extensive record.
Well there is now.
So hopefully the next woman, and there will be a next woman, there will be many next women, he is young and has many years left in him to cause harm, that next woman who reports him will have my words and actions standing behind them, supporting them.
So if anybody does follow through in reporting flashers or other more minor forms of sexual intimindation in future, don't feel like it was a waste of time, it isn't. It is the single most powerful thing you can do to help his future victims.
