December 20th 2024.
Gina was just an ordinary 25-year-old enjoying a music festival in London's Hyde Park when her sense of safety was shattered. A man she didn't know took a photo of her without her consent by placing his phone between her legs. She was horrified and felt violated, with his hand so close to her private area. In a brave move, she snatched his phone and ran off to seek help, but when she reported the incident to the police, she was told that nothing could be done because she was wearing underwear and he didn't physically touch her.
This experience prompted Gina to take action and launch a campaign to make upskirting a criminal offense in England and Wales. Her efforts gained massive support, with 50,000 people signing a petition to reopen her case and change the law. With the support of MPs, Gina was able to bring a private members' bill to parliament and the Voyeurism Act was introduced in 2018. This act made it a criminal offense to take photos or videos under someone's clothing to see their genitals or underwear, with a penalty of up to two years in prison.
However, Gina believes that upskirting is not just a harmless act, but a potential sign of someone capable of committing more serious and violent crimes against women. This was confirmed by a senior police officer who warned that upskirting can escalate into more sinister offenses. In fact, statistics have shown that a third of upskirting offenders were also charged with other serious sexual crimes. One high-profile case in France, the Pelicot mass rape case, was brought to light because the perpetrator was caught upskirting in a supermarket.
Sadly, there have also been cases closer to home, such as that of Robert Woolner and Sean Correlli Toscanni. Both men were caught engaging in upskirting and were later found to have committed other sexual offenses against children. These cases highlight the need for awareness and action to address the ongoing epidemic of violence against women. Metro has launched a year-long campaign, "This Is Not Right," in partnership with Women's Aid, to shed light on this issue and empower readers to take a stand against it.
Throughout the year, Metro will share stories that highlight the scale of this problem and encourage readers to get involved. If you have a story to share, you can reach out to us through email. It's time to speak up and take action against this relentless epidemic of violence against women. This is not right, and together, we can make a difference.
Gina was attending the British Summer Time festival in London's Hyde Park when a man took a photo of her without her permission by putting his phone between her legs. She felt incredibly unsafe and violated, not knowing that the man's hand was so close to her vagina. In a bold move, Gina snatched the man's phone and ran off to seek help. She was just 25 years old at the time and went straight to the police, but was disappointed to find out that there was nothing they could do about it. Since she was wearing underwear and the man didn't actually touch her, it wasn't considered a criminal offense.
This horrifying experience led Gina to launch a campaign to make upskirting a criminal offense in England and Wales. With the support of 50,000 people, she was able to bring a private member's bill to parliament. However, the bill was initially blocked by a Tory backbench MP, causing widespread criticism. Finally, on June 21, 2018, the Voyeurism Act was introduced, making upskirting a criminal offense with a potential sentence of up to two years in prison.
Although Gina's work was a major step towards change, she acknowledges that there is still a lot to be done. She believes that upskirting can be a signifier that someone is capable of committing darker and more violent crimes against women. This belief is shared by many, including Detective Superintendent Kate MacLeod of the City of London Police, who warned in September 2024 that upskirting can lead to more sinister crimes.
This link between upskirting and more serious crimes became evident during the second year of the Voyeurism Act being in force. According to The Crown Prosecution Service, at least a third of upskirting offenders were also charged with other serious sexual offenses, such as child abuse, sexual assault, extreme pornography, and wider voyeurism offenses.
One shocking example of this is the Pelicot mass rape case in France. During the trial, which concluded on December 19, the world heard how Dominique Pelicot had drugged his former partner Gisele and invited multiple men to rape her while she was unconscious. The police were alerted to this horrific ordeal because of upskirting. Dominique was caught taking videos up women's skirts in a supermarket in France, which led investigators to find incriminating evidence on his device.
There have also been disturbing cases in the UK, such as Robert Woolner from Hertfordshire and Sean Correlli Toscanni in Newcastle. Robert, a school bus driver, was caught in an undercover police child grooming operation and was found to have upskirting videos of schoolgirls on his phone. Sean, who worked as a security guard at a clothing store, was caught upskirting customers in the changing rooms and was also found to have evidence of child sexual abuse on his device.
On November 25, 2024, Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women. This campaign aims to bring awareness to the issue and empower readers to take action. Throughout the year, Metro will be sharing stories that shed light on the scale of this epidemic. If you have a story to share, you can contact Metro via email.
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