Penalty for sexual harassment with gestures has been introduced in Ukraine

For the first time in Ukraine, administrative liability for sexual harassment, including offensive gestures, body movements and messages in electronic communications, has been introduced. This was announced by the Deputy Head of the Department of Preventive Measures and Counteraction to Domestic Violence of the National Police Tetiana Ishchenko during a telethon, UNN reports.

The law introduces administrative liability for new types of offenses.

"The Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses has been supplemented with a new Article 173 with icon 7, which is called 'sexual harassment'. This means that it is indeed a new article, a new type of offense," Ishchenko said.

It is the intentional commission of offensive humiliating acts of a sexual nature, expressed verbally or non-verbally, against a person's will: words, gestures, body movements, as well as the use of electronic communications.

She emphasized that this law is a new challenge for the National Police. In this regard, police units, including preventive and patrol police, are undergoing special training.

These innovations are aimed at increasing liability for sexual harassment outside the context of domestic violence, which was already regulated earlier.

Add

Article 173-7 states that sexual harassment is punishable by a fine of eighty to one hundred and sixty tax-free minimum incomes, or community service for a period of twenty to forty hours, or correctional labor for up to one month with a deduction of twenty percent of earnings.

Previously

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.