Victim of ‘upskirting’ tells how she lost trust in people

A BIRMINGHAM teenager who had indecent pictures taken of her without consent has described how the ordeal left her unable to trust those around her. Morgan was 15 when a man took pictures of her without her knowledge. He was later convicted of voyeurism, before the upskirting law was introduced.

The teenager, who asked to be known only by her first name, said the ordeal had a major impact on her life at the time.

She said: “It made me question people around me all the time. I felt guilty for that, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Walking through college, you want to be wrapped in bubble wrap. I wanted to go straight to the classroom and that wasn’t like me. But I found that talking to people about it has helped me heal.” Morgan, now 17, has since been asked to visit other schools to talk about her experience, urging them to speak out if they are on the receiving end of such abuse.

She said: “I’m not very good with public speaking and it does make me nervous. But the benefits of talking about it outweigh that.”

Morgan said the upskirting law introduced a year ago has offered victims a route to justice. But she said there were some people who still felt the issue was “a bit of a joke”.

She said: “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.”

Four men have been jailed in the year since the upskirting law was introduced in England and Wales, figures show.

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.

Figures from the Crown Prosecution Service 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.

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.