In Germany, passed a law providing for steep fines or punishment up to two years in prison for secret photographing under the skirt or neckline (upskirting). This applies to photos and video of accident victims, according to TV station ARD.
“to take Pictures under a woman’s skirt or dress is a shameless violation of her intimate sphere. It is a violation of not only individual rights but also rights to sexual self-determination. We will strongly oppose it”, – said the Minister of justice of Germany, Christine Lambrecht.
According to her, the bill was presented in Parliament in September last year. “Pranks” with the intimate shots were considered until now as a misdemeanor with small fines. However, this did not deter violators. Now, legal loopholes remained, the punishment for an illegal act will be tightened.
Official representative on legal policy coalition, Jan-Marco Luczak confirmed that intimate photography is becoming more common. Therefore, the legislators took such drastic measures.
the Bundestag Adopted a law “On improving the protection of individual rights in the field of recording images” also provides for criminal penalties for a photo or video of the accident victims. The Minister of justice emphasized that the one who photographs badly wounded or even dead from “pure sensationalism violates all human decency”. Still a photograph of the deceased was not a criminal offence. Criminal law protects only surviving victims of the accidents. This gap is now also closed, the legislators noted.
Germany in the sensitive areas follows the example of other countries. So, in England and Wales upskirting is a punishable crime since last year. The law was adopted on the initiative of the author, who herself was a victim of the photos secretly taken under the skirt, and initiated a campaign in the media.
