This hashtag, with the barrier created by a screen, can help people speak out, and I think that it is truly beneficial.”Some commentators argued that sexual harassment accusations would be better handled in a courtroom than on social media. “Denouncing sexual harassment on a social network with a hashtag isn’t the appropriate place at all,” said Christophe Noël, a labor lawyer. According to a 2016 study by Ifop, a leading pollster, just 65 of the 1,048 sexual harassment lawsuits in France in 2014 led to a conviction. In Europe, several countries have moved in recent years to criminalize sexual harassment, including Portugal, where the left-leaning government in 2015 made verbal sexual abuse a crime with a fine of up to 120 euros, or about $142. Belgium has also moved against sexual harassment, and in 2014 introduced penalties including a jail sentence of up to one year for remarks intending to express contempt for a person because of his or her gender.

Source: International New York Times October 17, 2017 17:04 UTC