When you are hungry, stealing is not a crime. That is the opinion of the Supreme Court of Cassation in Italy. The court overruled a theft conviction against Roman Ostriakov, a homeless Ukrainian, who stole cheese and sausages worth €4.07 ($4.50) in 2011. Ostriakov was caught by another customer in the supermarket and convicted of theft; he was ordered to pay a €100 fine and sentenced to six months in jail in 2015. The court wrote: “The condition of the defendant and the circumstances in which the merchandise theft took place prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the face of the immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of need.”
If you are poor and hungry, stealing is not a crime in Italy
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