An Italian judge has sparked outrage in Italy after a judge acquitted a 66-year-old school caretaker accused of groping a 17-year-old student on the grounds that the harassment was short-lived, reports say BBC.

She said she was walking up the stairs to class with a friend when she felt her pants fall down and a hand touch her skirt and grab her underwear.

“Honey, you know I was joking,” her husband told her as she turned around.

After the incident, which happened in April 2022, the student reported to the police about the security guard Antonio Avola, 66 years old.

He admitted to groping the student without consent, but said it was a joke.

A Rome prosecutor had sought a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence, but the caretaker was acquitted of sexual assault charges this week. According to the judges, what happened “does not constitute a crime” because it lasted less than 10 seconds.

#10seconds, reaction in social networks

Since its release, palpata breve — a short grope — has trended on Instagram and TikTok in Italy, along with the hashtag #10secondi.

Italians have published videos in which they silently look at the camera and touch their private parts for 10 seconds

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The videos are often uncomfortable to watch, but they’re meant to show just how long 10 seconds can be.

The first video was posted by the actor Paolo Camilli, known for his role in the movie “White Lotus”, and since then thousands of people have followed his example.