EU Court: Tattoo Ban Discriminates Against Women in Italian Police

Ноги женщины в лаймовом лаке на пальцах, сидящей на светлом паркетном полу; на стопе и голени — чёрные орнаментальные татуировки в стиле line art с мандаловыми и растительными мотивами

A small flower on the shin turned out to be stronger than the entire competitive portfolio. In Italy, a woman with the initials HG was barred from entering the police solely because her tattoo was visible through her skirt in her ceremonial uniform. Now, case C-320/25 has reached the EU Court, and Advocate General Tamara Capeta, in her opinion of September 11, 2026, directly stated: such selection rules can be considered discrimination based on sex. For tattoo culture, this is a rare instance where personal body art becomes the subject of a European legal dispute about equality.

Read more