Bill to tackle public sexual harassment makes its way through the House of Commons
In a joint statement, Kathleen Spencer-Chapman (Head of Policy, Advocacy and Research at Plan International UK) and Gemma Tutton (Our Streets Now) said:
“Today [21st February], the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Bill was debated at Committee Stage. It was encouraging to see all sides of the House - and the Government - continue to support this Bill, as it took its next step on the legislative journey.
“However, we cannot waste the opportunity to get this law right, closing the loopholes which currently leave victims of public sexual harassment without a clear pathway to accessing justice.
“Currently, the Bill places a burden on victims of public sexual harassment to evidence intent by having to prove that the perpetrator intended to cause distress or alarm. This cannot be right. We welcome progress on this at today's debate, following cross-party consensus that the bar for proving a perpetrator’s intention may be set too high. We are pleased that the Government will revisit this issue and call on them to strengthen the Bill as it progresses.
“Plan International UK and Our Streets Now have been campaigning on this issue since 2020 and it’s exciting that, with strengthened wording as the Bill progresses, we can address a devastating social issue that has persisted for far too long.”