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 antisocial behaviour.
The £100 fine was issued on Friday evening to a man for sexual harassment in Ilford, east London, by officials 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 enforce against catcalling and harassment.
Civil enforcement officers witnessed a woman being harassed by the man and fined him. He has 28 days to pay or he will have to attend court, where he could face a potential prison sentence or a bigger fine. Another man was handed an antisocial behaviour ticket, while as part of the same operation police officers arrested a man for domestic abuse-related assault and possession of a weapon.
Jas Athwal, the leader of Redbridge council and London Councils’ executive member for crime and public protection, said: “We are the first council in London using our public space protection order to enforce against catcalling and harassment. We’re supporting covert police operations in the borough to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
“This fine is a strong start and will serve as a statement of intent. We will not tolerate harassment of women and girls and will target those men who do not heed this warning. We’re reclaiming our streets for our local communities and ending the culture of misogyny that starts with harassment and escalates to violence.”
There have been growing calls for tougher laws to tackle wolf-whistling, catcalling and other forms of public sexual harassment – spurred on by a spate of attacks on women, including Zara Aleena who was sexually assaulted and murdered on the streets of Redbridge. The attacks have 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 offence after the government said it would back legislation brought forward by MP Greg Clark in a private member’s bill. It introduces harsher sentences if someone who deliberately harasses, alarms, or distresses someone in a public place does so because of the victim’s sex, with the maximum sentence increasing from six months to two years.
PSPOs, which make predefined activities within a mapped area prosecutable, have been met with criticism amid fears they could be used to restrict freedoms in urban spaces. Councils have used the power to target rough sleeping.
Dover district council created a PSPO in July requiring that dogs be kept on leads. In Kensington and Chelsea, consultation is ongoing on an order that would make driving loud cars an offence, targeted at rich motorists cruising the area.
