Nina De Chiffre kisses a police officer during a protest in Susa. Photo / AFP
Nina De Chiffre kisses a police officer during a protest in Susa. Photo / AFP
An Italian woman has been charged with sexual assault for kissing the helmet of a police officer during a protest.
Nina De Chiffre was protesting plans to introduce a high-speed train line in the northern-Italy town of Turin when she planted the kiss on a riot police officer.
She alsolicked her fingers and touched the officer's mouth.
Her actions were seen by many as a gesture of peace.
However, it has now emerged that police have charged her with "sexual violence" and "offence to a public official" over the incident.
Franco Maccari, the secretary general of the Italian police officers' union, said De Chiffre's actions were inappropriate, the Huffington Post reported.
"If I kissed her on the mouth, wouldn't it be a violation?" Maccari said in an interview with Italy's Radio24. "If a police officer had kissed a random protester, the third world war would have burst."
De Chiffre earlier said her actions were meant to be an act of defiance.
