The French Parliament unanimously approved a bill yesterday against sexist and sexual violence, with 92 votes in favor and the abstention of 8 others), hence making catcalling a crime punished with an immediate fine of up to 750 euros. The new legislation emphasized the campaigns combating rape and other forms of sexual assaults against minors, and extending the law of limitation for some sex offences over the years when perpetrated against underage children. The bill also stepped up sanctions against sexual and moral harassment and facilitated provisions of rape accusation, as such: ‘A sexual relation between an adult and a child under age 15 can be considered rape if the victim lacked the ability to consent’. For her part, the minister for gender equality, architect of the new bill, Marlene Schiappa, pointed out that street harassment was not punishable in the past, but from now on, it is considered an offence, stressing the need to criminalize hostile acts of humiliation or intimidation of women in public places. The ratification of above law came days after a woman, Marie Laguerre, 22, was harassed and hit by a man on the street as seen in a footage released and posted by the victim on her Facebook account, provoking a wave of outrage across the country. Lagurre, who said, the attacker approached her and insulted her while she was walking on the street, has taken to social media to relate her experience and created a website that allows other victims of harassment to share their stories. (Al Akhbar, August 3, 2018)
