Figures show children amongst 150 victims of Upskirting

Tuesday 14th January 2020 16:45 EST
 

Figures in a report made to police forces reveals that children are among those who reported being a victim of upskirting since a law came into force. The 153 reports made to police forces in England and Wales, one victim could have been as young as 10, while a 74-year-old woman reported being targeted. It comes after the Voyeurism (Offences) Act came into force, in April 2019.

Gina Martin, who led the campaign against upskirting, praised the act for bringing perpetrators to justice.

Separate data from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows 10 men were convicted of 16 offences, in 2019.

The majority of offences were committed in schools, shopping centres and other public places.

The Press Association obtained figures - from 35 police forces under Freedom of Information laws.

Upskirting involves the use of a recording device, such as a camera phone, to take explicit images underneath a victim's clothing without permission and often undetected.

Victims include the 74-year-old in the Avon and Somerset Police area, as well as a 15-year-old boy in the West Midlands and a 14-year-old girl on a bus, in Sussex.

Hertfordshire Police said one of two upskirting cases in its area involved a 15-year-old boy taking an image of a 15-year-old girl while she was either drunk or asleep, before threatening to circulate the photos on social media.

Campaigners previously complained that the lack of a specific legislation left police unsure how to deal with such allegations, with many subsequently going unreported.


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