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UK blocks the law that bans taking photos up women’s skirts

by 27 Comments

The United Kingdom recently attempted to make upskirting illegal and punishable by up to two years in prison. But thanks to a single lawmaker, the bill hasn’t become law after all. 71-year-old Sir Christopher Chope of Conservative party blocked the bill and he didn’t give a reason for it.

Upskirting, as you probably know, is taking unauthorized photos under a woman’s skirt. Gina Martin started a campaign against it in the U.K. after she was a victim of upskirting in 2017. She was unable to file a lawsuit because of the “gap in the law.” Upskirting is not a criminal offense in the U.K., and the police reportedly stated that the photo wasn’t obscene enough “because she was wearing underwear.”

The proposed bill would put upskirting in line with other voyeurism offenses, making it punishable by up to two years in jail.  As TIME reports, Prime Minister Theresa May’s government gave its backing to the proposed bill on Friday. However, Chope’s objection means that the law will have to be debated again at a later date. According to the same source, the expected date for a new debate is 6 July 2018.

After Chope blocked the bill, it caused many negative reactions among the public and the members of the Parliament.

Gina Martin published an official statement regarding Chope’s blocking of the bill, saying that she was “extremely upset and disappointed.”

TIME cites lawmaker Wera Hobhouse, who said that upskirting is a “depraved violation of privacy” and called Chope’s act “outrageous:”

“Upskirting is a depraved violation of privacy. It is outrageous that a single member of Parliament has today been able to derail a much needed and universally supported change in the law.”

As TIME writes, upskirting is not prohibited at a federal level in the U.S. However, it was made punishable in Massachusetts and Texas. Sadly, it seems like it’s a kind of a “grey area” in legislation of most countries. It’s officially illegal in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. But unfortunately, it seems like a “gap in the law” exists in many other countries.

If you ask me, I strongly agree that upskirting should be punishable by law. It is indeed a violation of privacy and there should be some kind of a ruling against it. I hope that’s about to become the case worldwide, and that the U.K. will implement a law against it after 6 July.

[via TIME]

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  • There is nothing interesting up there. Move on.

  • One decrepit politician blocked it. What an embarrassment.

  • g_disqus

    There is some rules in public places. And people should know – another people may not know about this rules. We should understand and accept this. Prison for failure of rules in public places is very bad idea. It’s barbarism. These unpleasant persons event don’t touch this “victim”. What is next? Puncture eyes for wrong view.

  • Jail time seems appropriate.
    It’s a human rights violation.

  • Jail

    • Peter Dieter Jansen

      Please correct me when i am wrong – So when I am taking a picture with a
      high resolution camera and a wide angle lens in a public place and
      somewhere is an other person is not dressed appropriate …You want to send me as the
      photographer should to go to Jail for It? because someone else is able
      to zoom in?

  • Prison and added to the sexual offenders registry.

    • Peter Dieter Jansen

      Please correct me when i am wrong So when I am taking a picture with a
      high resolution camera and a wide angle lens in a public place and
      somewhere is an other person is not dressed appropriate …You want to send me as the
      photographer should to go to Jail for It? because someone else is able
      to zoom in?

      • Gotta understand you have a lot of ignorant people online (dems and millennials) that just don’t know any better. But that is the dem’s parties way. The gun confiscating, freedom hating, baby murdering, illegal alien loving, take down all borders, legalize dope loving party.

      • Sadzuki Star

        Your argument is ridiculous and you know it. If you happen to take a photo and someone is dressed innapropriatly in it (and by innapropriatly I mean violating decency laws) then the law breaker is the one you photographed, ala public indecency. If you put your camera on a selfie stick and shove it underneath someone’s skirt to try and take a photo of their underwear you deserve jail time.

        The only way your argument would hold any water is if you found a way to zoom in through peoples clothes. Come off it.

  • DPJ

    Doesn’t surprise me a 71 year old Tory put paid to this bill, what does surprise me is he isn’t being investigated for child abuse accusations like most of the people from that era.

  • It’s amazing how many people are happy to send others to prison

    • It’s amazing how many people are happy to downplay sexual offenses of this nature.

    • Erin Guest you need to prove your accusation

    • Aankhen

      It’s amazing how many people are happy to dismiss gross violations of bodily autonomy.

  • Jail.

  • I know there’ll always be pervs and peeping toms but is this upskirting really a thing? Is it a day to day scourge, an epidemic or just some incidences.

    • It’s a thing. It’s also a sexual offense – a criminal offense. If nothing else, putting them on the sex offenders list is appropriate.

    • Not the question I asked but thanks.

    • It’s a thing. Some places are worse than others, and I know a few women who are unwilling to wear skirts because of it.

  • Mike

    Whilst the intent of the new law was right the amendment to the existing law was poorly written and too narrow. For example, it does not include the upper half of a woman’s body – down-topping; up topping to use the adopted jargon. If the legislation is debated and redrafted then this MP may have inadvertently improved the legislation when it finally goes through.

    • Aankhen

      Thank you for the context. I couldn’t understand why anyone would block it, but this explains some of it.

  • There aren’t the spaces in prison for this… you can’t make every immoral action an imprisonable offense people should just learn not to be utter cock wombles. If they don’t learn, drag their ass through court

  • Just beat the crap out of the perv or mace them. Then shove the phone up their butt. 😬

  • Peter Dieter Jansen

    Please correct me when i am wrong So when I am taking a picture with a high resolution camera and a wide angle lens in a public place and somewhere is an other person is not dressed appropriate …I as the photographer should to go to Jail for It? because someone else is able to zoom in?

  • More overreach by the UK….the acid attack capitol of the world! Freedom was only saved by 1 vote. No doubt when the old timer dies off the millennials will pass the upskirt law.
    Soon it will be illegal in America to do street photography, just as they have passed laws against it in the EU. Ignorant people watch and do nothing as they are losing their freedom bit by bit.

    • Aankhen

      If your street photography involves taking photos of women’s underwear without their permission, you belong in jail.

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