Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Teenager’s bid to make upskirting illegal in N. Ireland
» Tegan campaign to change law » Minister pledges her support
A WOMAN who was the victim of “upskirting” has started a campaign to have the vile practice outlawed.
Tegan Nesbitt, 18, was on her last night out before lockdown last year when she was targeted.
Her ordeal in a Derry bar prompted her to speak out and stand up for other victims of upskirting, where a woman’s skirt is pulled up and filmed without their knowledge or consent.
She has gained more than 40,000 signatures on a petition calling for the act to be criminalised under the Sexual Offences Order 2008 and has the backing of Justice Minister Naomi Long.
Speaking to the Mirror, Tegan said: “It was my last night out before lockdown and I was standing ordering a drink and I felt like my skirt had been pulled up.
“This was a really well-lit bar with over 200 people and I turned around and not only was there someone with a camera between my legs but there was fella behind him videoing and egging him on.
“I turned around and said, ‘What are you doing?’ They didn’t really have much to say but I was in a fit of rage and shock.
“I can’t remember what I said, I was just so embarrassed and no one else had said anything to them or let me know. Not only was I exposed but I was videoed from all angles, it just felt degrading.
“I went up to the bouncer and told him and he was kind of like, ‘What do you want me to do about it?’ I told him I need you to get him out. All I could think, I know it sounds silly, but I was thinking what if my dad sees that video?
“The bouncer put me in the back room and looked around and said he couldn’t find them and he came back and I was advised by him to go home.
“I didn’t know what to do. I went home to my friend’s house and I felt I couldn’t go out for a few days, it was just so degrading.”
After a video Tegan took on the night to send to her friends in the aftermath of the attack popped up again on her phone, she decided it was time to speak out. Tegan said: “When the video came up on my phone again of me having a complete panic attack and meltdown at what had just happened and I mentioned it to my friends, they said I should put it up on social media to show other people that this does happen and how it can make you feel.
“After I put that up it gained a bit of momentum and I looked up out of curiosity the laws around it. I’m not really searching for justice for what happened to me but I wanted to know and I was shocked to see that it was illegal in England, Wales and Scotland but not in Northern Ireland.
“I started the petition as soon as I saw that and it just took off from there. In three days it had 30,000 signatures and I was contacted by Change.org and they’ve been great in helping me get the word out.”
In response to the petition, Ms Long pledged her support to her campaign.
She said: “Thank you, Tegan, for sharing your story and using this petition to raise awareness of what is an appalling violation that unfortunately happens too often to women in public.
“It is important that people are aware of the harm it causes and know that if they report it, it will be taken seriously.
“I am bringing forward legislation to deal with upskirting, downblousing and a number of other related issues.
“It will be submitted to the Northern Ireland Assembly at the start of May.” ■ You can sign the petition here: www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-make-upskirting-illegalin-ni.
I was videoed from all angles.. so degrading TEGAN NESBITT DERRY YESTERDAY