A fine for sexual harassment has been issued by a London council in the first use in England and Wales of controversial powers designed to clamp down on anti-social behaviour.
A man was fined £100 on Friday night for sexual harassment in Ilford, east London, by officers from Redbridge Council, with the support of the Metropolitan Police
The council says it is the first authority to use a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to crack down on teasing and bullying.
Civil servants witnessed the harassment of a woman by the man and fined him. He has 28 days to pay or he will have to appear in court, where he could face a potential prison sentence or a larger fine. Another man was charged with anti-social behavior and, in the same operation, police arrested a man for domestic violence and possession of a weapon.
Jas Atwal, leader of Redbridge Council and executive member of the London Council for Crime and Public Protection, said: “We are the first council in London to use our Public Spaces Protection Order to enforce action against teasing and bullying . We are supporting undercover police operations in the area to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“This fine is a strong start and will serve as a statement of intent. We will not tolerate the harassment of women and girls and will target those men who do not heed this warning. We are rebuilding our streets for our local communities and ending a culture of misogyny that starts with bullying and escalates to violence.”
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There are growing calls for tougher laws to tackle wolf-whistling, catcalling and other forms of public sexual harassment – prompted by a spate of attacks on women, including Zara Alaina, who was sexually assaulted and killed on the streets of Redbridge. The attacks prompted thousands of women to share their stories of everyday sexual harassment on the streets.
Earlier this month, ministers said public sexual harassment would be made a specific crime after the government said it would back legislation proposed by Greg Clark MP in a private bill. It introduces harsher sentences if someone deliberately harasses, alarms or worries someone in a public place because of the victim’s gender, increasing the maximum sentence from six months to two years.
PSPOs, which make pre-defined activities in a mapped area subject to prosecution, have been met with criticism amid fears they could be used to restrict freedoms in urban spaces. The Soviets used power to target the rough sleeper.
Dover District Council set up the PSPO in July, requiring dogs to be kept on leads. Consultations are continuing in Kensington and Chelsea on an order that would make driving loud cars a crime, targeting wealthy drivers driving around the area.
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