Italian Justice Minister Guido Gonella admitted in the Senate this week-end that Italian law provided for lesser punishment for offenses against Protestantism and Judaism than for similar offenses against the Catholic religion. He denied however, that there was any discriminatory intent and indicated that there will be no opposition on the part of the government to making uniform punishment of similar offenses against any religion.
The question had been raised by Ugo Della Seta, a Jewish Senator, who charged that difference in degree of punishment for the same offense constituted a violation of Italian constitutional guarantees of equal treatment for all religions.
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