UK to Increase Sentence for 'Street Sexual Harassment' to 2 Years

Strengthening Sentences for Sexual Harassment in Public Places from 6 Months to 2 Years
Obscene Talk, Obstruction of Passage, and Offensive Gestures Also Defined as Crimes

A crowd of protesters gathered at Parliament Square in London, UK, last March to commemorate a woman who was kidnapped and murdered by an active-duty police officer. Photo by EPA·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The UK is pushing for the passage of a bill that increases the punishment for so-called 'catcalling'?sexual harassment of women in public places such as streets.

According to a report by the Washington Post (WP) on the 9th (local time), the UK Home Office stated in a press release that it supports a bill that imposes stronger penalties for sexual harassment occurring in public places, including catcalling. If this bill passes, the maximum sentence for sexual harassment in public places will increase from the current 6 months to 2 years.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said, "All women should feel safe walking the streets without fear of harassment or violence," adding, "This is why we support this bill that criminalizes sexual harassment occurring in public places as a specific offense." She further noted, "Although this is a complex issue, the government has carefully considered the opinions of experts."

The bill includes not only catcalling?making lewd remarks to women on the street?but also the following acts as punishable offenses: deliberately closely following someone walking home at night; making obscene or aggressive remarks toward others; making obscene or offensive gestures; obstructing passage; and slowly driving a vehicle close to pedestrians. Some women's rights activists are also urging that whistling or staring intently be defined as crimes.

WP noted that the UK Parliament currently has a Conservative Party majority, making the bill's passage likely. Greg Clark, a Conservative MP who proposed the bill, told the BBC, "The purpose of the bill is to create and strengthen a culture where abusing women on the street is completely unacceptable."

In March, a YouGov survey of 3,361 adults in the UK found that two-thirds of British women responded that "walking alone at night is unsafe." Among respondents, 62% of women and 8% of men reported having experienced sexual harassment such as catcalling or whistling. Additionally, 43% of women said they had experienced unwanted physical contact.

In the UK, a social outcry for women's safety intensified after a woman in London was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by an on-duty police officer while walking home in March last year. However, six months later, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher was murdered by an unknown man in South London, causing great shock.

Some European countries such as Belgium, France, and Portugal, as well as Peru and the Philippines, have already criminalized and penalized sexual harassment like catcalling in public places. The French Parliament passed a bill in August 2018 imposing on-the-spot fines of 90 to 750 euros (approximately 110,000 to 1,000,000 KRW) for catcalling, and Peru has enforced an anti-street harassment law since March 2015.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.