Saudis welcome new anti-harassment law

A new law that offers victims of sexual harassment legal recourse and imposes stiff penalties on those convicted of the crime will soon come into effect, after being endorsed by the Saudi council of ministers on May 29th.

Under the new anti-harassment law, violators face a prison term of up to five years, a fine of up to 300,000 Saudi riyals ($80,000 dollars), or both.

The law stipulates that any person who incites another, conspires or aids them in any way in committing an act of harassment, will be assessed the same penalty prescribed for the crime.

It further stipulates that anyone who commences to commit the crime of harassment will be assessed half of the maximum penalty.

Under the provisions of the law, anyone who falsely reports being subjected to harassment also will be assessed the penalty prescribed for the crime.

Fair treatment for Saudi women

The passage of the anti-harassment law comes "as one more step towards ensuring just and fair treatment of Saudi women and helping them realise their basic rights", journalist Radwa al-Dosari told Al-Mashareq.

"Nothing changes completely or instantly," she said. "Change must come unhurriedly and encompass all social, daily life and legal aspects, so it does not run into obstacles that may emerge."

The new law will have "a significant impact on Saudi social life", she said.

This is because it not only relates to verbal harassment or unwanted advances, but it also aims to prevent women from being assailed in public places for perceived violations of the Islamic dress code, she added.

"Such actions will be considered harassment, and women will have legal protection thanks to this law," she said.

The new law "is in line with current Saudi efforts to evolve societal ideas through the just and fair treatment of a key part of society, women", said Abdullah al-Muqrin, professor of comparative jurisprudence at Umm al-Qura University.

"Girls and women of the kingdom always have suffered from a lack of legal protection from harassment, which comes in many forms and under many pretexts," he told Al-Mashareq.

Women have been silent on this issue due to the lack of legal protection and the social environment in the kingdom that discourages them from disclosing harassment for fear of causing a scandal, he said.

In some cases, he noted, victims of harassment are blamed by their family for a mistake they are presumed to have made.

Part of wider social reforms

The lifting of the ban on women driving will go into effect on June 24th, so it is important to get the legal aspects in place ahead of time in order to ensure the success of this move, said Lt. Col. Jamal al-Nukhaifi of the Saudi police.

The new anti-harassment law "is a deterrent to anyone who tries to prevent, bother or harass any woman driving in the streets of the kingdom", he told Al-Mashareq.

Some incidents might occur during the early days of the implementation of the law, he said, but the legal deterrents are "sufficient to keep the situation under control".

"The law provides for the non-disclosure of the names of complainants of harassment for considerations that are specific to Saudi society," he said.

This will make it easier for girls and women to file complaints, he said, pointing out that "new departments have been established in police stations specifically to assist women".

The new law also will help "rein in some youth who take advantage of crowded public squares on weekends and holidays, as well as crowded shops and malls to practice their hobby of bothering people and harassing girls", he added.

"A young man will think a thousand times before he exposes himself to legal accountability or arrest and imprisonment for harassment," al-Nukhaifi said.