As new stats reveal that 95% of cyberflashing reports in Scotland do not result in a
conviction, Clare McGlynn points out the flaws in Scots law and calls on England not to
repeat the same mistakes.
In Scotland cyberflashing is punishable under Section 6 of the Sexual Offences Act, which
makes it illegal to “coerce a person into looking at a sexual image”. It was designed to
combat grooming but, having been drafted broadly, it “just so happens to now cover
cyberflashing”, McGlynn said. There has been a steady rise in people reporting offences
under Section 6 but few resulted in conviction.
McGlynn said the thresholds for prosecution were too high and that Westminster politicians
were set to follow Scotland which she argued was mistake.
Further reading
More than 95% of cyberflashing goes unpunished in Scotland The Times, 14 March 2022