Japan has introduced a new bill in Parliament aimed at improving the safety of women in the country. The proposed law would impose a penalty of up to three years in jail and a fine of lakhs of rupees for anyone found guilty of taking objectionable photos of women in skirts or other clothes. The bill has been introduced in response to public demand and aims to prevent crimes against women such as upskirting.
Upskirting involves the act of taking photographs of women in short clothes without their consent, often in public places such as crowded trains or theaters. Criminals then use these images for nefarious purposes, such as selling them to porn websites or engaging in revenge porn. In Japan, upskirting is known as "chikan" and is becoming an increasingly serious issue. According to reports, most cases of upskirting occur in crowded public places such as metro trains.
The new bill proposes strict provisions to prevent upskirting and is expected to pass. Those accused of this crime will be produced before the court and subject to strict bail conditions. All electronic devices belonging to the accused will be seized and subject to forensic examination. If convicted, the accused will face a minimum sentence of three years in jail and a fine of Rs 18 lakh. If the fine is not paid, an additional year will be served.
In response to the increasing incidence of upskirting, Japanese mobile phone makers have introduced the "audible shutter sound" technology, which produces a sound when a photo is clicked. This technology will alert women to any activity happening around them and allow them to report any suspicious behavior to the police immediately.
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Data released by Japan's police show that the number of upskirting cases has increased from 1741 in 2010 to 5,000 in 2021. Some reports suggest that the lockdown and other COVID-related restrictions have contributed to an increase in such crimes.
Japan is the first Asian country to categorize upskirting as rape. Other countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Britain, and Germany have laws in place to deal with this crime. Individual states in the US and Australia also have laws to prevent upskirting.
In March of this year, a group of men held an event in a theme park dedicated to upskirting and shared photos of their activities on social media. The incident prompted the Japanese government to introduce the new bill. The men later apologized for their actions. The new law in Japan is expected to send a strong message to perpetrators of upskirting that such behavior will not be tolerated.