Italian court rules food theft 'not a crime' if hungry

No one should ever go hungry, the supreme court in Italy gave a a verdict... Its along way for humanity, but still a long way to go..

Stealing small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a crime, Italy's highest court of appeal has ruled.

Judges overturned a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov after he stole cheese and sausages worth €4.07 (£3; $4.50) from a supermarket.

Mr Ostriakov, a homeless man of Ukrainian background, had taken the food "in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment", the court of cassation decided.

Therefore it was not a crime, it said.

A fellow customer informed the store's security in 2011, when Mr Ostriakov attempted to leave a Genoa supermarket with two pieces of cheese and a packet of sausages in his pocket but paid only for breadsticks.

In 2015, Mr Ostriakov was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months in jail and a €100 fine.

Link

I agree. There is a massive difference between stealing for greed or to 'have' things that your friends are having or stealing because you have to feed yourself or your family.
You may say that stealing isn't necessary as there is social help. But you need to know how to even start on that when you are homeless and nobody helps you through the procedure, especially as a lot of homeless people are mentally ill.
I have known women that stole to feed their children, they would normally not steal at all.

Yeah, I think this is a correct decision, only that I am worried that all those sneaky 'real' thieves will use this now as an excuse and get away with it...

While I agree no one should go hungry, I'll bet this court just opened a huge can of worms. Now, you're going to have the poor and/or homeless, going in to stores and stealing small amounts, knowing they won't be prosecuted. Small amounts per person, can add up to huge loses for a business owner.

a reply to: DAVID64

Plus they need to define what food.

Going into a shop and stocking up on premium steaks and beluga caviar would go beyond just feeding yourself.

a reply to: PanPiper

Some men have multiple mega yachts, some over 200 houses around the world and yet others still have such excessive exuberance as to render inadequate the dreams of most men.

Good to see the wogs have some common sense - unlike others.

This will be getting abused.. shoplifting and theft is going to rise dramatically.
There are other ways to feed the homeless instead of encouraging them to steal from honest hard working people.
I would be so angry if I were a shop owner, so much so I would probably ban all homeless looking people.. which opens another can of worms.
I know it sounds harsh but I wouldn't let anybody steal from the business I bust my ass for..

originally posted by: Sublimecraft
a reply to: PanPiper

Some men have multiple mega yachts, some over 200 houses around the world and yet others still have such excessive exuberance as to render inadequate the dreams of most men.

Unfortunatly these are not the people that will be getting stolen from, they are always protected.

It will more likely be small family business, struggling to pay bills and provide an adequate life for their families..

a reply to: Misterlondon

The cynic in me is wondering if that’s the point.

The Italian government is corrupt to the core we all know that. So makes me wonder if big supermarkets are trying this out to drive smaller businesses out of business.

The cost of losing some food to the poor likley pales next to the increased business they would get if all the local shops went bust.....

Thinking about this for a moment.. is actually a ridiculous ruling.
There are actually putting out a message that one of the fundemental things that make us a civilised society is ok.

So where does it all end? Could I not dress as though I'm homeless and spend my days in and out of hundreds of shops just taking what I like?
Could this not be a lucrative business for someone?

And with already big problems with immigrants and refugess.. "hey, let's go there, food is free, you can just take it from shops"

I predict this will cause big, big problems..

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: Misterlondon

The cynic in me is wondering if that’s the point.

The Italian government is corrupt to the core we all know that. So makes me wonder if big supermarkets are trying this out to drive smaller businesses out of business.

The cost of losing some food to the poor likley pales next to the increased business they would get if all the local shops went bust.....

It is possible, the level of corruption in all governments is astounding. Just look at the American government and links to big companies, especially the fda. . So it is possible.

It probably wouldn't affect the supermarkets as much as the small businesses, because they have security systems in place, cameras and guards will be on everyone like a hawk when they walk in a store..

That's another problem.. have you ever been in a store and had the security discreetly try and follow you.. lol.. that makes me so f ing angry when that happens..

a reply to: Misterlondon

The amount of food waste from supermarkets is staggering to.

They could feed entire poor community’s from what they chuck out.

They can easily afford this bill.

Small businesses cant. I know a few small shop owners and there profit margins are tight. A bill like this would drive them out of business.

And there lost business would end up at those supermarkets......

If the government had cared, rather than this bill it would have made the supermarkets donate the waste food that was safe to the shelters.

why not just make a law saying that food that stores normally throw away (not because it's gone bad but just because it looks less fresh) should be given to whatever organizations that feed the poor? or something like that. all stores throw away TONS of food daily and not because it's bad to eat.

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
why not just make a law saying that food that stores normally throw away (not because it's gone bad but just because it looks less fresh) should be given to whatever organizations that feed the poor? or something like that. all stores throw away TONS of food daily and not because it's bad to eat.

That’s why im suspicious.

That would affect only the large supermarkets.

Whereas this bill will drive local ships out of business and benefit the supermarkets.

To me this reeks of a back door attempt to attack local businesses.

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: Misterlondon

The amount of food waste from supermarkets is staggering to.

They could feed entire poor community’s from what they chuck out.

They can easily afford this bill.

Small businesses cant. I know a few small shop owners and there profit margins are tight. A bill like this would drive them out of business.

And there lost business would end up at those supermarkets......

If the government had cared, rather than this bill it would have made the supermarkets donate the waste food that was safe to the shelters.

Now that is the sensible solution to this.. The waste is astounding, and not just from the supermarket shelves but before they even reach the supermarkets..
Thousands of tons of good vegtables gets thrown away because it may not be the right shape.. I've never got my head around that one.

As for the supermarkets in general, yes they are evil corporations, they even go as far as buying competitors close to their stores and closing them down.. Especially if they are seen as a threat..

originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
why not just make a law saying that food that stores normally throw away (not because it's gone bad but just because it looks less fresh) should be given to whatever organizations that feed the poor? or something like that. all stores throw away TONS of food daily and not because it's bad to eat.

The sell by date is bs.. I eat anything as long as it is not rotton.. i don't even look at the date. I used to but the food waste in my home was to high.
I've been doing this for years now and have never got sick.
I've eaten onions, weeks out of date, potatoes with roots beginning to grow, bananas that are almost black.. even mouldy bread, ill just break of the mouldy bit and eat the rest.

a reply to: PanPiper

That sucks for the victim, but screw them. Right?

So, let me see if I understand this correctly...

One buys food because of the need to provide physical nourishment to oneself and ones family.

If one is in need of nourishment, and that is the reason behind not paying for (stealing) food, one is not guilty of a crime for taking the food without paying.

Therefore, noone needs to pay for food...henceforth, in Italy, all food is free.

Brilliant decision Italy!

Let's see what's next...one squats in an apartment because of the body's need for shelter...therefore to evict someone for squatting (or not paying their rent) is illegal. All accommodation is free.

All people need money in order to survive in today's society. So, therefore, it is a basic human right that all people should be given whatever money they need to live...oh wait, Bernie and others are already way down this road (ie. the concept of guaranteed personal income).

Madness folks...

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: DAVID64

Plus they need to define what food.

Going into a shop and stocking up on premium steaks and beluga caviar would go beyond just feeding yourself.

Not to me. How do we get this in the US?

There has to be some stipulations to this like "stealing from supermarkets when theres NO OTHER MEANS OF GETTING FOOD" (like soup kitchens and other homless shelter support).

This could be stretched out a bit by simply sitting in a restaurant and ordering what you like then when the bill comes say sorry im homeless, thanks for the meal it was good and saved my life, see ya tomorrow! Okay thats pretty unlikely but you see where im coming from.

originally posted by: mobiusmale


Madness folks...

This is what they mean when they say, "It's good to have an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out". Brains are falling out all over the place.