London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

16 men convicted since 'upskirting' became illegal a year ago

Sixteen men have been convicted since the upskirting law was introduced in England and Wales a year ago.
Campaigners said the legislation offered a route to justice for victims, but said more work was needed to raise awareness about the seriousness of the cruel craze, which has seen four men jailed since being made illegal.

Figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) show 16 men have been convicted of 48 offences since April 12, 2019, following a high-profile campaign to create a specific law banning upskirting. Data shows the vast majority of the offences (33) took place in supermarkets and shops, with nine on public transport, five in the street, and one in a school.

The law was introduced after campaigner Gina Martin lobbied the Government for two years when she was unable to prosecute a man who took a picture up her skirt at a music festival.

Those convicted in England and Wales face up to two years in custody.

Siobhan Blake, CPS national lead for sexual offences prosecutions, said: ‘It has now been a year since this degrading practice became a specific criminal offence but women continue to be violated as they go about their daily lives.

‘This appears to be a particular problem in shops and on public transport, where predatory men are concealing devices to take pictures up women’s skirts.

‘This is a serious crime and I am very pleased to see police and prosecutors making regular use of this legislation, with almost 50 convictions secured to date.’

A schoolgirl who had indecent pictures taken of her without consent two years ago said the new law was important, but that many younger people failed to understand the seriousness of it.

The victim, now 17, from Birmingham, said: ‘I think people think it (upskirting) is a bit of a joke.

‘Some people don’t appreciate the seriousness of it. Now there is a law, if people knew they could go to prison for two years, it might put them off.

‘I think the law is fine but it’s the awareness that’s needed – people need to be taught from a really young age that this is wrong, if you were to do this, this is the punishment you will get.’

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) described the law as a ‘really good step forward’ in offering a route to justice for victims and broadening understanding of what sexual abuse is.

But the charity said there remained the need for greater education in schools about what amounts to abuse in an effort to shape behaviour.

Alana Ryan, the charity’s senior policy and public affairs officer, said: ‘We know it’s a lot more complex than just a contact offence – it can occur online, and with multiple people.

‘We are beginning to realise how much of an impact technology is having.

‘It’s really important that we have a legal criminal framework for adult offenders but also an understanding that young people need more education to understand what is and isn’t abuse.’

Ms Ryan said the roll-out of new relationships and sex education (RSE) at schools from September 2020 will ‘help create the space for schools to talk about toxic cultures and harassment’.

She added: ‘There are so many different elements to making sure there is a coherent message across society.

‘When you look at #MeToo and Times Up movements, they are also playing a part in making sure behaviours previously considered acceptable are actually recognised as abuse or inappropriate.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×