France outlaws lewd cat-calls to women in public

Filepic from 2017: a woman holds a banner that reads: Rape Culture during a demonstration in Lyon, central France, to support the wave of testimonies denouncing cases of sexual harassment. French lawmakers. Photo: AP

France voted to outlaw sexual harassment on the streets, leaving cat-callers and aggressively lecherous individuals facing potential on-the-spot fines of up to 750 euros (RM3,540) as part of tougher legislation to fight sexual violence.

Lawmakers approved the law in a second reading late on Wednesday, days after outrage erupted in France after a man attacked a young woman, Marie Laguerre, when she responded to lewd noises he made at her outside a Paris cafe.