French face fines for wolf-whistling in public

Sexual harassment law is passed amid growing anger over video showing Paris student being punched

REPEAT wolf-whistlers face on-thespot fines of up to €750 (£660) under a law against sexual harassment passed in France this week, amid outrage over film of a woman being punched in Paris.

MPS approved the law on its second reading late on Wednesday days after security film footage showing a man punching Marie Laguerre, a Parisian student, went viral online.

However, feminist groups, and some police unions, criticised the new bill against “sexist outrage” as a “huge disappointment” that would see more serious offences go unpunished and said that it was inapplicable in practice.

The new law creates fines of between €90 and €750 for gender-based harassment on streets and public transportation, starting in September.

“Harassment in the street has previously not been punished. From now on, it will be,” Marlene Schiappa, gender equality minister and architect of the new legislation, told Europe 1 radio.

She said she was convinced the measure would act as a “deterrent”.

The law, which bans sexual or sexist comments and degrading, intimidating or hostile behaviour, came as Ms Laguerre, 22, launched a website to allow victims of harassment to recount their ordeal – with 200 posted within 24 hours.

The site, Nous Toutes Harcelement (We are all harassed), aims to collect accounts of incidents “in the street, at work, in the private sphere”, she said.

France was appalled when security camera footage from a bar showed her being violently punched by a man in broad daylight after she told him to “shut up” for repeatedly harassing her with lewd advances.

She filed a complaint with police who have opened an investigation, and she wrote that “we must no longer keep quiet”, adding that she took the punch “with the utmost pride” as it would help raise awareness.

Overwhelmed by reaction to the attack, Ms Laguerre contacted women’s group Les Effrontées, which helped her set up the website and the hashtag #tagueule (shut up).

Fatima Benomar, a spokesman for Les Effrontées, said Ms Laguerre “showed great strength by going back to the bar to retrieve the film and put it on social media”.

She told The Daily Telegraph: “Her depression has now turned into a lot of rage and fighting spirit and she is really motivated now.”

The group was among several that expressed scepticism regarding the new law. Caroline De Haas, a French feminist activist, called it a “huge disappointment”.

“It’s far sexier to create a new law than try to enforce existing ones,” she told The Telegraph. “With these fines, more serious charges of harassment risk being downgraded.”

Police unions were circumspect. Linda Kebbab, of Unité SGP Police, said: “All police are saying this law is all about spin but totally inapplicable.

“For a fine to be handed out, a police officer must see the offence with his or her own eyes.”