Call for 'upskirting' law to protect women from 'horrific crime'

Children as young as 10 have fallen victim to "upskirting" - the act of taking photographs under dresses without consent - according to new figures.

Campaigners are calling for urgent changes to criminalise the act, as there is no current law banning it.

In some cases, victims have had to pursue claims of voyeurism or indecency instead.

Victims, politicians and campaign groups have called on the Government to implement "an effective criminal law".

The campaign for legislation follows the movement for clearer laws on image-based sex abuse - or revenge porn - which saw legislation come in to force in 2015 in response to a legal grey area.

The first official figures come from a freedom of information request detailing upskirting incidents, which highlights many of the issues facing officers dealing with reports.

Fifteen of the 44 police forces included had records of upskirting allegations in the past two years, while 14 said there were no records and 15 did not respond.

Forces with data showed 78 reports in two years, with 11 of those resulting in suspects being charged.

The true scale of the problem is likely to be much bigger, according to campaigners, who say police face difficulties being able to log and investigate cases.

There was insufficient evidence to prosecute in several cases, including one involving a 10-year-old girl in 2015, according to Avon and Somerset Police.

Clare McGlynn, professor of law at Durham University and also an expert on sexual violence, said: "The Government's continuing failure to provide an effective criminal law against upskirting breaches women's human rights.

"We are entitled to protection from degrading and abusive treatment, whether offline or online - and we are entitled to have our privacy in public respected.

"We are also entitled to a law that is fit for purpose, a law that treats this abuse as a form of sexual offence and that provides anonymity to all complainants. Only then will victims feel more willing to come forward and report to the police and support prosecutions."

Conservative MP Maria Miller, who chairs the Women and Equalities Select Committee, said it was "concerning" that police might feel they do not have adequate powers to tackle the "horrific crime".

"Sometimes the law isn't straightforward in its application and new laws can help," she said. "In the case of revenge pornography there are now more than 500 cases prosecuted a year."

Sarah Green, of the End Violence Against Women coalition, said the figures showed police were "clearly struggling to recognise upskirting distinctly".

Campaigner Gina Martin told Sky News last year: "Every woman I know has experienced sexual harassment on some level. I'm bored of women's bodies being public properties."