Richard
Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, has written to David Lidington MP, the
Justice Secretary, to call on the Government to make the taking of “upskirt”
photographs a sexual offence in law.
In the
letter, Burgon echoes Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Dame Vera
Baird’s call for this necessary change and urges the Government to close the
current gap in the law that exists.
Full text
of the letter from Richard Burgon MP to David Lidington MP
Dear
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor,
I am writing
in support of the campaign, started by Gina Martin, to make disgraceful,
invasive “upskirting” photographs a sexual offence in law.
The scope for
people to take “upskirting” photographs has clearly increased with developments
in mobile phone technology since the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
At present, there is a gap in the law that has allowed – and is continuing to
allow – people who have taken such photographs in public places to escape
prosecution. This needs to be changed. Northumbria Police and Crime
Commissioner Dame Vera Baird has also made the case for this necessary change.
I believe
that in the country there is strong support for Gina Martin’s campaign for this
necessary change in the law.
The law must
be changed so that women are protected, offenders are punished and potential
offenders are deterred.
Given the
very welcome public interest in – and support for – this campaign, I have made
this letter public, and hope that you will publicly respond very soon with an
announcement of plans to change the law so that the taking of “upskirting”
photographs is a sexual offence in law.
Yours
sincerely
Richard
Burgon MP
Shadow
Secretary of State for Justice & Shadow Lord Chancellor
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