UK: Street harassment to be banned in crackdown, government says
Submitted by Mastodon on Tue, 2022-12-13 23:31
Article here. Excerpt:
'The government will now back legislation tabled by former business secretary Greg Clark.
Mr Clark said the intention of the bill is "to reinforce a change in the culture that establishes that it is completely unacceptable to abuse women in the streets".
During a debate in the House of Commons, Mr Clark said: "Public sexual harassment can affect men and boys, but we should be clear that it disproportionately affects women and girls."
The backbencher's bill aims to criminalise:
- Deliberately walking closely behind someone as they walk home at night
- Making obscene or aggressive comments towards a person
- Making obscene or offensive gestures towards a person
- Obstructing a person's path
- Driving or riding a vehicle slowly near to a person making a journey
As it stands, the bill will also introduce harsher sentences - increasing the maximum sentences from six months to two years.
Campaigners have also called for wolf-whistling and staring intently to be criminalised.
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The defendant is guilty of...
... being male while walking in proximity of a female he does not know.
2 years.