Cases: family members kissing or fondling minors (boys and girls) on the genitals (criminal law)

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Cultural test

Legal Insights

Anthropological insights

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Proposed balancing act: Since the practice does not cause any harm to the child and the findings of the anthropological investigation show that it is not incompatible with constitutional values, it is considered that the practice can be accepted in the Italian legal system.

Bibliographic references

Legal bibliography (recommended reading):
 
 Ruggiu, I. (2019a). "Omnia munda mundis. La pratica culturale dell’'omaggio al pene’' del bambino: uno studio per la cultural defense." Stato, Chiese e Pluralismo Confessionale, vol. no. 27.  Available on  www.statoechiese.it.
Dauth, H., & Ruggiu, I. (2020). A legal and anthropological analysis of the cultural defense concerning fathers who kissed and touched their sons' genitals: sexual abuse or "homage to the penis of the child"? In L. E. Rios Vega, I. Ruggiu, & I. Spigno (Eds.), Justice and Culture: Theory and Practice Concerning the Use of Culture in the Courtrooms. Naples: Editoriale scientifica. (Contact [email protected] for a copy)
 
Legal bibliography  (recommended readings): 
 
Basile, F. (2018). Ultimissime dalla giurisprudenza in materia di reati culturalmente motivati (Latest from case law on culturally motivated offenses). Stato, Chiese e Pluralismo Confessionale, vol. no. 30, 2018, pp. 1-14.
Provera, A. (2018). Carezze o violenze? La Cassazione affronta il problema dei reati sessuali a presunto orientamento culturale (Caresses or Violence? The Cassation Court Addresses the Issue of Sexual Offenses with Presumed Cultural Orientation). Diritto Penale e Processo, 11/2018, pp. 1432-1438.
Ruggiu, I. (2019b). Diritti del minore versus cultura? La decisione della Cassazione, n. 29613/2018 sul caso del padre albanese che bacia il figlio sui genitali per motivi culturali (Child Rights versus Culture? The Decision of the Cassation Court, No. 29613/2018, on the Case of the Albanian Father Who Kisses His Son's Genitals for Cultural Reasons). Quaderni di Diritto e di Politica Ecclesiastica, vol. no. 3.
'Too Much Religious Freedom - Infants Infected with Herpes after Jewish Mohel Applies Oral Suction to Circumcised Penises', 19 J.L. & Health 297 (2004)
 
Anthropological bibliography (for further reading):
 
Adams C. (1997), Do Other Cultures Allow Sex Acts to Calm Babies? It depends on how you define 'sex act', 14 December, in https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/straight-dope/article/13043372/straight-dope-do-other-cultures-allow-sex-acts-to-calm, 2012.
Diamond M. (1990), Selected cross-generational sexual behaviour in traditional Hawai'i: a sexiological ethnography, in J.R. Feierman (ed.) Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions, New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 422-444.
Douglas, M. (1966). Purity and Danger: An Analysis of the Concepts of Pollution and Taboo.
Gay Y Blasco P. (1997), A 'different' body? Desire and virginity among Gitanos, in The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute , 3(3), pp. 517-35.
Money, J., Prakasam, K.S., & Joshi, V.N. (1991). Transcultural Development Sexology: Genital Greeting Versus Child Molestation. IPT (Institute for Psychological Therapies), vol. 3. [Online] Available at: http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume3/j3_4_4.htm
Schiefenhövel, W. (1990), Ritualized adult-male/adolescent-male sexual behaviour in Melanesia: an anthropological and ethological perspective, in J.R. Feierman (ed.) Pedophilia: Biosocial Dimensions, New York: Springer-Verlag,pp. 394-421.
Tesăr, C. (2012). Becoming Romani (male), becoming Romni (female) among Romanian Cortorari Roma: On body and gender. Romani Studies, 5, Vol. 22, No. 2, 113-140.