The UK just made catcalling a criminal offence – here’s what the new law actually means
The UK has made a significant shift in how it tackles public harassment through new laws introduced from Wednesday (1 April).
The Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023 is now in force across England and Wales, introducing a specific offence that targets intentional harassment, alarm, or distress directed at someone because of their sex in public spaces.
This change has been widely described as criminalising behaviours like catcalling, following strangers, leering, or making obscene comments – actions that many women and girls have long experienced as everyday intimidation but which were often downplayed or hard to prosecute effectively.
What the law actually changes
The new offence builds directly on section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, which already made it illegal to intentionally cause harassment, alarm, or distress through threatening, abusive, insulting, or disorderly behaviour.
The Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act adds a new section 4B. It creates an aggravated version of that offence when the behaviour is carried out because of the victim’s sex or presumed sex. This upgrade brings clearer recognition of sex-based motivation and significantly tougher penalties.
Key behaviours now explicitly covered include:
- Catcalling, wolf-whistling, or making sexual/obscene comments or propositions
- Following someone in a threatening or intimidating way
- Leering, persistent staring, or cornering someone
- Unnecessary invasions of personal space (e.g., pressing against someone on public transport)
- Shouting threats of sexual violence
- Blocking someone’s path or making obscene gestures
These acts must be intentional and cause (or be likely to cause) harassment, alarm, or distress. The law applies in public places such as streets, parks, public transport, taxis, shops, gyms, hospitality venues, and other everyday spaces.
It is designed to protect women and girls in particular, who are disproportionately affected, but the wording is sex-neutral and applies to anyone harassed because of their sex.
Conviction under the new aggravated offence can result in:
- A maximum of two years in prison
- A criminal record
This is a substantial increase from the previous six-month maximum for the basic section 4A public order offence. The government hopes the higher stakes will encourage more reporting and stronger police action.
The Act includes provisions for statutory guidance to help police apply the law consistently across forces. The government has emphasised working with police, frontline organisations, and campaign groups to ensure robust enforcement.
“The sad reality is that many women and girls have been cornered, leered at or shouted at in public, or have faced intimidating threats of violence,” said Home Office Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips.
“Too often, they’ve been made to feel like it’s their problem to manage. That is not good enough. Instead of forcing women and girls to change their behaviour, we are going after those who choose to target and intimidate them.
“These new laws put the focus on perpetrators. If you harass someone in public because of their sex, it will not be tolerated, and you can face a criminal record and up to two years behind bars.”
