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France Imposes Steep Fines on Catcallers Under New Law

Street harassers face fines between $105 and $876.

France on Wednesday passed a law imposing “on-the-spot” fines for sexual harassment on the street or on public transport, according to Deutsche Welle. The law says that catcallers and harassers will now face fines between $105 and $876. Those caught “upskirting”—or taking photos under a person’s clothes without their consent—also face one year in jail and a fine of over $17,000. While an adult having sex with a minor under the age of 15 is considered an offense in France, another part of the new law makes it easier for that offense to be classified as rape. This comes days after CCTV footage of a woman being catcalled and physically assaulted on the streets of Paris went viral.