Italian court allows stealing if you're hungry and homeless

It appears that stealing food in Italy is no longer a crime, but there's one stipulation - it's not illegal if you're hungry and homeless.

Italy's supreme court just overturned a homeless man's 2011 food theft conviction, arguing that his 'right to survive' prevails over someone else's right to property.

This means that the man who stole sausages and cheese from a supermarket did not actually commit a crime. The original sentence was six months in prison and a £96 fine.

Having made the decision, 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," ANSA reported.

While many are hailing this decision as an act of humanity, others are taking a slightly less positive view, criticising the inefficiency of Italy's justice system.

This is because it took a three-part trial over five years to find a man not guilty of stealing £3 worth of food.

It's thought that one in four Italians are at risk of facing poverty in their lifetime.