Two Italian men were cleared of rape charges in 2017 partly because an Italian appeals court, consisting of three female judges, thought the alleged female victim looked “too masculine” to be sexually assaulted. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Ancona, Italy, courtroom on Monday to protest the lower court’s dismissal of the charges, according to The Local Italy. According to doctors, her injuries were consistent with rape and her blood contained high levels of benzodiazepines, a type of tranquilizer often used as a date rape drug. Both men were convicted of rape in 2016. The appeals court in Ancona overturned the convictions the following year, finding that the woman was not credible in part because of her looks, according to documents published Friday.

Source: Huffington Post March 12, 2019 23:37 UTC