France convicts first person under new anti-catcalling law

A 30-year-old man has become the first person to be fined under a new law in France that outlaws catcalling.

The man was reportedly “extremely drunk” when he boarded a bus in Paris during rush hour last week, according to Quartz. He then “slapped a 21-year-old woman on her behind”, before telling her, “you have big breasts”, reports French newspaper Le Monde.

The woman is understood to have complained to the bus driver, who was attacked by the assailant after confronting him.

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This month marked the launch of new legislation, passed by French lawmakers in August, under which catcallers can be hit with fines of up to €750 (£670) for their behaviour.

Yesterday a judge in Evry, south of Paris, invoked the new law to hand a €300 (£268) fine to the accused man, whose name has not been released. The assailant was also jailed for three months for slapping the woman and attacking the bus driver.

“This is the first conviction for sexist insults in the country,” a Justice Ministry spokesperson confirmed to Paris-based news agency AFP. Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa applauded the court ruling in a tweet.

Schiappa, was instrumental in passing the outrage sexiste (sexist insult) law, Inquisitr reports.

Pressure to enact tougher penalties for street harassment “was partly fuelled by a viral video of a 22-year-old architecture student being harassed while she walks past a Parisian cafe, only to be punched by the same man seconds later”, adds Quartz. The footage sparked widespread outrage after being shared online in July.