A new bill aims to close a loophole in current legislation on voyeurism in Belgium that makes the crime only punishable if the victim is naked.
“This must also be the case if, for example, someone takes photos under another person's clothing without permission, and thereby photographs the underwear,” said Stefaan Van Hecke, according to De Standaard.
In 2019, a person who took photos under the skirt of an underage girl at an amusement park, zooming in on the underwear, was acquitted.
Then earlier this year, a judge was forced to acquit a man who had secretly spied on more than ten women. The judge had no choice because the law requires the victim to be naked before voyeurism can be said to have taken place.
“This is a forgetfulness on the part of the legislator, which can have serious consequences for victims,” said Van Hecke.
The bill being proposed by the Ecolo-Groen party to fix this is described as “a relatively simple but necessary amendment.”
Helen Lyons
The Brussels Times
