Chisinau, April 24 - Against sexual harassment, IOM Moldova celebrates the #DenimDay campaign.
 
“The Denim Day story begins in Italy in 1992 when an 18-year-old girl was raped by the 45-year-old driving instructor who was taking her to her very first driving lesson. He took her to an isolated road, pulled her out of the car, removed her jeans, and forcefully raped her. She reports the rape, and the perpetrator is arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to jail. Years later, he appealed the conviction claiming that they had consensual sex. The Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction, and the perpetrator was released. A statement from the Court argued that because the victim was wearing very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was not rape but consensual sex. This became known throughout Italy as the 'jeans alibi'."
 
Today, millions of people across the world wear jeans with the purpose of supporting survivors and educating themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence.
 
Help spread the message by wearing your jeans, and sharing the message that there is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.

Learn more Denim Day

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For more information, please contact:

Riccardo Severi, Communications and Public Information Officer, IOM Moldova, rseveri@iom.int 

Arap Irina, Senior Programme Specialist Protection, IOM Moldova iarap@iom.int