Man becomes one of the first to be punished for catcalling a woman in the street
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For the first time in UK history a man has been fined for catcalling a woman on the street.
The Guardian reported officials from Redbridge council, with the support of the Metropolitan police, fined the man £100 (AUD $179.6 or USD $121.1) in an effort to crack down on sexual harassment.
The council said they had used a public space protection order (PSPO) to enforce the charge of catcalling.
According to the outlet, leader of Redbridge council and London Councils’ executive member for crime and public protection Jas Athwa said they were the first council to implement these charges, demanding perpetrators be held accountable.
He added: "This fine is a strong start and will serve as a statement of intent. We will not tolerate harassment of women and girls and will target those men who do not heed this warning.
"We’re reclaiming our streets for our local communities and ending the culture of misogyny that starts with harassment and escalates to violence."
If the man doesn’t pay the fine in 28 days, he will appear in court and potentially face a prison sentence.
There have been attempts in the UK to address harassment following the death of Zara Aleena, who was murdered on the streets of Redbridge this June.
As a result, ministers have said public sexual harassment would be made an offence and have backed legislation brought forward by MP Greg Clark in a private member’s bill.
The bill aims to criminalise antisocial behaviours, including purposefully walking behind someone late at night, making aggressive or sexualised comments toward them, obstructing their path or driving slowly near them in public.
The government has also warned that if the bill successfully passes through parliament, perpetrators could face up to two years in prison.
Home secretary Suella Braverman said the bill's purpose was to make women feel safe while walking the streets.
"We are putting the needs of victims at the heart of our decision, which will mean the criminals who commit these acts face the consequences they deserve," Ms Braverman said, as per BBC News.
According to data compiled by the UN Women in UK, 97 per cent of women aged 18 to 24 have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces.Additionally, merely four per cent of women said they had reported incidents of harassment, while 45 per cent believed that reporting incidents to the police wouldn’t change anything.
