Upskirting is now a criminal offence in England and Wales, meaning that the perpetrator, after being added to the sex offenders register, will face up to two years’ in jail, the Huffington Post reports.
Upskirting refers to the action of taking photographs underneath someone’s clothes, without any consent, with the aim of sexual gratification or humiliation
After a year of campaigning by Gina Martin, this criminal offence was established under the Voyeurism Act. This act received Royal Assent in February 2018, but there is still insecurity in case women would not report the upskirting offence.
Mandy Coppin, CEO of Streetwise, a charity for young people, said: “I’m not sure this will empower young women to report upskirting as many don’t report other serious sexual assaults. We know from our research last year that 75% of young women (in the North East) who identified as being subject to a sexual assault did not report it.”
Laura Hubb, 24, from Liverpool, participates at gigs and music events- she says, the crowds make it easier for people who wanted to upskirt- confirming Coppin’s ideas that even if there is a law against this sexual assault, it will not provide reports.
She is now worried what is going to happen when she reports it to the police, “I can’t help but feel I would be laughed at or told to just get over it, which would put me off from reporting or make me think twice,” she said.
Gina Martin, instead, is convincing women to report these offences: “Please raise your voice and report if you are a victim or if you see someone become one – every report builds a picture so we can stop upskirting,” she said.
Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said: “We have always been clear – there are no excuses for this behaviour and offenders should feel the full force of the law. From today, they will.
Photo: ITV
