Stealing food from a supermarket out of necessity should not be considered a crime, according to Italy’s supreme court.
The judgement has handed down in the case of a homeless man who was caught trying to take two pieces of cheese and a pack of sausages from a supermarket in Genoa in 2011.
The products were valued at €4.
On Monday Italy’s highest court judged that stealing small amounts of food out of desperation is not criminal.
"The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise show that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment," the court ruled in a written judgment.
“People should not be punished if, forced by need, they steal small quantities of food in order to meet the basic requirement of feeding themselves.”
A shopper spotted and reported Ukrainian Roman Ostrikov, 36, who was arrested. He was initially given a six-month prison sentence and fined €100 which he could not pay.
The sentence was upheld on appeal but annulled by the supreme court.
The La Stampa newspaper lauded the compassion shown.
“The court’s decision reminds us all that in a civilised country no one should be allowed to die of hunger”.
But Corriere della Sera noted the absurdity to taking five years and three expensive rounds of justice for an offence concerning goods worth €4 to be adjudicated.
