Overview
- Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman endorsed Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig’s push to outlaw aggressive verbal sexual harassment in public spaces.
- Hubig’s ministry is assessing a new offense in line with the coalition pledge, and SPD deputy floor leader Sonja Eichwede has floated fines as a possible penalty.
- Under current law, many verbal incidents are not prosecutable as sexual offenses, with courts having flagged the gap; some cases may fall under insult or stalking instead.
- Union lawmakers dismiss a new provision as symbolic and difficult to enforce, while a legal expert warns broad wording could breach proportionality and face constitutional hurdles.
- Several European countries, including the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Portugal and Spain, already penalize public verbal sexual harassment.