Derry teen Tegan Nesbitt victim of upskirting in city centre bar
Tegan Nesbit, who was targeted in a bar in the city last year, says Stormont’s Department of Justice “needs to listen and needs to listen now”.
Justice Minister Naomi Long has said that that legislation would be brought forward to deal with upskirting, which is a specific offence elsewhere the UK, but not in the North of Ireland – although this would not happen until May.
Upskirting is when images are taken underneath a victim’s clothing without permission.
Mrs Long said the bill was “much more complex than simply upskirting, or down-blousing” and that it “is to cover a whole range of serious sexual offences and a few other justice issues”.
The Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill was given royal assent earlier this month.
Tegan Nesbitt said she had been on a night out with friends when she “felt that somebody had pulled my skirt up”.
“I didn’t know at the time until I turned around but whenever I turned around there was about six fellas all with their phones out recording it happening.
“And there was a fella who had his phone between my legs, under my skirt,” the 18-year-old told BBC News NI.
Staff suggested she go home “because I was dampening the mood of everyone else’s night”.
“Me and my friend went home, back to her house, I stayed there for days. I felt completely helpless because I didn’t know what to do in a situation where nobody else around me did anything to help”.
She felt “humiliated, disgusted and ashamed”.
“I didn’t go to the police, I didn’t go to anybody.
“I’m not really too sure why I didn’t and I am still to this day am a bit confusedf.
“But I think that because I have seen so many sexual assault cases play out, watched them happen, watched girls go through years and years of torment to never get any justice for what happened to them”.
It gave her a determination to help speed up the legislative process. Ms Nesbitt shared her experience on social media and began a petition calling for change to the law.
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