The Assembly voted this Wednesday in favor of a tougher repression of sexist insults and the possibility of filing complaints by videoconference for certain crimes, during the examination of the law on orientation and programming of the Ministry of the Interior.
During a session that ended shortly before midnight in a tense atmosphere, the deputies approved by a large majority (170 votes in favor, 28 against) an article that reinforces the repression of the crime of “aggravated” sexist contempt. The voted article intends to classify it as a crime, with a fine that would go from the current 1,500 euros to 3,750 euros.
Sexist contempt, recently introduced to deal in particular with “street harassment”, refers to the fact of imposing on a person “a statement or behavior with a sexual or sexist connotation”, violating their dignity or creating an “intimidating” situation, hostile or offensive”.
LFI votes against
It is considered “aggravated” in certain cases, for example when it is committed by a person who abuses his authority, on a vulnerable person or even on public transport.
Identical opposition amendments were adopted, with the backing of the Government, to extend the aggravated sexist contempt to all minors, and no longer just to those under 15 years of age.
Others, which demanded that sexist excesses could not be subject to “criminal flat-rate fines” of lower amounts, were rejected.
The LFI group voted against the measure, deploring a purely “repressive” method and believing that it was necessary to “address the cause and not the consequence” of these excesses.
Earlier in the day, the Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a possible presentation of a complaint by videoconference for certain infractions, by 155 votes to 2. With the endorsement of the presidential field, the deputies adopted an amendment by the socialist Cécile Untermaier mentioning that the victim can reject the video, if he prefers a “face to face” procedure.
The videoconference is not intended to “reduce public service”, stressed the Renaissance deputy Caroline Abadie, recalling the “8,500 recruitments” of gendarmes and police promised by law during the five-year period.
Source: BFM TV
