New government guidelines may send males who sexually harass women to jail for two years.
The Home Office is consulting on adding ‘public sexual harassment’ to the 1986 public order act.
Possible offences include following, making obscene statements or gestures, cornering, and following slowly in an automobile.
The Telegraph stated that the paper appeared before Parliament’s summer break.
Boris Johnson claimed existing restrictions are enough to stop public harassment like wolf whistling and catcalling if enforced.
The revised consultation says “others have different views and we accept that.”
Liz Truss, the frontrunner for prime minister, endorsed a measure to combat violence against women.
Priti Patel reportedly supports the new offence.
The conversation was promised after Wayne Couzens murdered Sarah Everard.
Her death prompted demands for tighter anti-violent sexism legislation in Britain.
Half of 16-34-year-old women were harassed in the past year, according to the ONS.
38% had received catcalls, unwelcome sexual remarks, or whistles.
Under the proposed legislation, the criminal wouldn’t need to be hostile against the victim’s sex.
“Public sexual harassment will occasionally be founded on such animosity, but not always,” the paper adds.
“This is one reason why the Law Commission determined that sex should not be included to hate crime law, and why the Government agrees with that finding.”
Liz Truss promised last month to outlaw wolf-whistling and cat-calling if she becomes prime minister.
The Tory leadership candidate also announced proposals for a nationwide domestic abuse registry, admitting all politicians must ‘do more’
Under her ideas, a new crime to criminalise harassment would encompass ‘aggressive and sexist behaviour’
The registry would cover coercion and financial abuse.
In the previous two years, our country has been outraged by high-profile deaths of women, notably in London, said the Foreign Secretary. Westminster and the Mayor of London must do more.
Women and girls aren’t doomed to violence. Women should feel safe walking the streets, and offenders should be punished.
Increased police training, additional offences, speedier rape victim procedures, and our domestic abuse record will protect victims and deter crimes.
Ms. Truss thinks the registry will reduce recidivism.
Her government would oblige convicted criminals to report new partners and children to the police or face heavy punishments.
The Foreign Secretary committed to speed up rape cases as part of her war on violence against women and girls.
She’d ensure cases meet investigative criteria from the outset to speed judicial proceedings.
Police personnel would be trained to help vulnerable victims.
Rachel Maclean, a former Conservative Home Office minister, said, ‘Women and girls should live in safety, and I know as prime minister Liz would implement tighter protections for domestic abuse victims, including tagging for the most serious offenders.’