Milan Court of Appeal convicts former union official in sexual abuse case

The Court of Appeal of Milan has issued a conviction against a former union official for sexual abuse involving an incident from 2018. The defendant was sentenced to one year and two months in prison.

Barbara D’Astolto, the hostess at the center of the case known as the ‘30-second case’, expressed relief after an eight-year judicial process. The legal journey included two previous acquittals that were subsequently overturned by the Court of Cassation.

D’Astolto emphasized the difficulty of the long legal battle and advocated for legislative changes to ensure that the lack of consent is the central defining factor in sexual violence cases. She stated, ‘Without consent is violence. Always.’