Man who slapped woman's bottom gets 1st fine under French 'cat-call' law

A man who slapped a woman'sbottom on a bus near Paris has been jailed for three months and,in a first under a new law against cat-calling, also fined forlewd remarks about her physique.

The man, inebriated when he boarded the rush-hour bus,smacked the 21-year-old on the buttocks and made an insultingcomment about her breasts, before a squabble with the busdriver, who jammed the doors shut while police were alerted.

A judge in Evry, south of Paris, sentenced the man, in his30s, to three months behind bars for the slap, considered an actof outright sexual aggression, and added a fine of 300 euros($450 Cdn) for the offending comments.

Court and justice ministry officials said the fine was thefirst imposed under legislation that seeks to deter predatoryremarks and harassing actions such as wolf-whistles, which arefairly commonplace in public life in France.

The minister behind the legislation, which also allows foron-the-spot fines of as much as 750 euros ($1,140 Cdn), posted amessage on Twitter hailing the court decision.

"Bravo for the bus driver's quick-wittedness and the penaltyimposed," said Marlene Schiappa, the gender equality minister.

The sentence comes weeks after an episode of violent sexualharassment in the street was captured on CCTV footage.

In the video, a man who had wolf-whistled a 22-year-oldwoman outside a Paris cafe was seen punching her in the faceafter she rebuffed him with sharp words.

A suspect in that case was arrested in late August after thefootage went viral, prompting a police hunt.

Globally, one in three women and girls experiences physicalor sexual violence, the United Nations estimates. In France, arecent survey showed more than half 53 per cent of womensay they have experienced sexual harassment or assault.