Whether or not this helps or hurts tourism remains to be seen - Italy's supreme court rules masturbation in public is not a criminal offence

It probably wouldn't be fair to make masturbation a criminal offense in a country where public art more or less suggests exposing yourself and public sex acts are ok...

Masturbating in public is not a crime, the Italian supreme court has ruled, even if it is done so with the clear aim of being seen by other members of the public.

Italy’s highest court, La Corte di Cassazione, was asked to rule on the case of a 69-year-old man who had been caught masturbating in the southern city of Catania.

Identified only as Pietro L, the man had been convicted after he was seen “taking out his penis” and “practising autoeroticism” in front of students at the University of Catania campus.

According to the local edition of La Repubblica, the local Prefect of Catania and the Court of Appeal had agreed that the man should be sentenced to three months in prison and fined €3,420.

But supreme court judges said that a recent government reform meant “the act is not included in the law as a crime”.

In doing so, the court has eliminated the criminal aspects of sentencing for obscene acts in public places...