Fury in Italy after man who groped teen cleared as assault lasted ‘seconds’

Antonio Avola, 66, went on trial for sexually assaulting student, 17, but judge rules grope too fleeting to be a crime

An Italian judge has provoked outrage after clearing a school caretaker of groping a teenage girl because the sexual assault only lasted a handful of seconds".

The case relates to a 17-year-old student at a school in Rome who described being groped by the caretaker as she walked up a staircase with a friend.