Harassing women in pubs or on the street could be outlawed in a planned crackdown on violence against women.
It was announced last night that the Law Commission would call for public sexual harassment, such as cat-calling and lewd comments to be criminalized.
It will also recommend making ‘inciting hatred against women’ a criminal offence, in a Government-commissioned review of hate crimes.
However, it won’t make misogyny an hate crime because it was deemed ineffective.
The government plans to outlaw sexually harassing women walking on streets
Priti Patel (Home Secretary), pictured. Such behavior can lead to escalation
Feminist campaigner Nimco Ali, who is advising the Government on violence against women, said that the new legislation was like ‘seatbelt laws’ and was essential to change ‘social norms’
A Whitehall source told The Daily Telegraph: ‘[The commission] will call for a public sexual harassment offence, which doesn’t currently exist. It thinks this fits with other work the Government is doing on criminalising intimate image abuse and will be more productive and better in protecting women.’
Following the murder of Sarah Everard in March, Home Secretary Priti Patel said crimes such as flashing, verbal or physical abuse of women in the street were not ‘low-level’ and could lead to more serious offences.
Feminist campaigner Nimco Ali, who is advising the Government on violence against women, said that the new legislation was like ‘seatbelt laws’ and was essential to change ‘social norms’.