Upskirting will carry a two year jail sentence in England and Wales under a new law.
The Voyeurism (Offences) Bill will soon make it illegal to take a picture under a person’s clothes without their consent.
Gina Martin began the campaign to make the act a punishable offence 18 months ago.
A victim of upskirting herself, Martin said that she is “over the moon” to hear that her Bill will soon become law.
“Upskirting will be illegal,” she wrote on Twitter.
“After becoming a victim and recognising a gap in the law, I partnered with Ryan Whelan of Gibson Dunn and began 18 months of exhaustive, emotional and life-changing work.
“Now? We have changed the law!”
We fought the law and… WE WON.
Upskirting will be a sexual offence.
💥💥💥💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/dulj6Xp6qR
— Gina (@ginamartinuk) January 16, 2019
Martin went on:
“I always thought politics was impenetrable but with the right help and willpower you can do it. We did it. We made upskirting a sexual offence!
“I am exhausted and so so happy!”
Martin began campaigning for the law to change after she was upskirted at a festival over a year ago.
Some positive news in otherwise scary political times – huge congratulations @ginamartin_uk and @ryantwhelan! 🎉🎉 https://t.co/j0ESKKJX3p
— Natasha Holcroft-Emmess (@NHEwrites) January 15, 2019
She said that she noticed two men take a picture up her skirt and share it with one another on their phones. Martin grabbed the phone and presented it to police but the case was closed four days later.
The Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords today. It will become part of the Sexual Offences Act of 2003.
Upskirting is already a crime in Scotland.
