UK law to make ‘ upskirting’ an offence blocked by 1 MP
Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope objects to move
The campaign for the law against upskirting — where photos are secretly taken under a skirt — was started by victim Gina Martin
London, June 15: A bill to make upskirting a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison has been blocked in the House of Commons after a single Conservative MP objected to it, the
Guardian reported. The government had given its support to introducing the new law earlier.
But Sir Christopher Chope shouted “object” to the bill, leading to cries of “shame” from other MPs.
The campaign for the law against upskirting — where photos are secretly taken under a skirt — was started by victim Gina Martin.
The bill would have made upskirting a criminal offence and meant offenders could face a maximum of two years in prison.
MPs, including Conservative ministers and colleagues, were tweeting their anger at Sir Christopher’s decision.
Campaigner Gina Martin had started an online petition after police declined to prosecute a man she accused of taking a picture of her on his phone at a music festival as she had been wearing underwear and the photo was therefore not considered illegal. Ms Martin said she was “extremely upset and disappointed” by Sir Christopher’s objection. “This behaviour is a hideous invasion of privacy which leaves victims feeling degraded and distressed,” junior justice minister Lucy Frazer had
said earlier, giving the government’s backing to the draft law put forward by Opposition lawmaker Wera Hobhouse.
People convicted of “upskirting” were to be placed on the sex offender register once the law is approved by Parliament.
Some instances of “upskirting” are currently prosecuted under existing public decency and voyeurism laws, but campaigners said not all instances were covered by existing criminal law.
Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women’s Aid, had said: “We welcome the government taking decisive action to make upskirting a criminal offence. This form of abuse is painful and humiliating for victims and often has a devastating impact on all aspects of their lives.” Lisa Hallgarten, head of policy for Brook, a sexual health and wellbeing charity, had also welcomed the recognition of upskirting as a criminal offence. But she said that “the law alone is not enough”. “Schools have a critical role in challenging harmful behaviours and practices by dealing with any issues promptly,” she said.
“In order to keep children and young people safe from harm we must teach them at the earliest opportunity to respect each other’s privacy, to know their rights and to understand issues around consent, coercion and unwanted, unsafe touch.”