On Monday, the Supreme Court of Italy ruled in favor of a homeless man who was arrested for stealing $4.50 worth of food from a street vendor in Genoa. Five years ago, Roman Ostriakov, 36, was caught and arrested stealing a tiny amount of cheese and sausage from a small street market and was fined $150 and given six months in prison.
He appealed his conviction and the Italian Supreme Court decided that he should not have been punished for stealing food because he was hungry. Ostriakov had the cheese and the sausage stashed in his jacket but did pay for bread sticks on his way out of the market. Other customers in the market at the time saw him steal the sausage and the cheese and place them under his coat. They reported him to the store owner who called the police. Ostriakov was tracked down by the police and arrested.
In its decision, the Court stated that stealing small amounts of food to stay alive can’t be considered a crime by any definition. The Court stated that, “The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise showed that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment, 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.”
One of Italy’s major newspapers, La Stampa, agreed with an editorial that said’ “The court’s decision reminds us all that in a civilized country no one should be allowed to die of hunger.”
The newspaper also noted in its coverage of the decision that the homeless population in Italy grows daily by more than 600 people. The appeal by Ostriakov was based on his being charged with theft when he was apprehended before he left the Genoa market. He and his lawyers felt that the court just should have reduced the charge to attempted theft. However, the court ruled in a deeper manner which should send shock waves around the world for its bold decision.
PHOTO SOURCES: Feedthehomelessday.com