Italy’s Grillo derided for defending son in sex assault case

MILAN (AP) — Former Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has derided the founder of the 5-Star Movement for a video message defending his son against allegations of sexual assault. Conte, a lawyer by training who has been tapped as the next leader of the movement, said in a statement Tuesday that he understands Beppe Grillo’s “anguish of a father, but we cannot overlook that there are also other people … who must be protected and whose feelings must be absolutely respected, namely the young girl directly involved.” In the video, Grillo claimed any sexual activity with the teenager was consensual, pointing out that no one has been arrested.