Cardiff Woman Reports Untaxed Van to DVLA After Street Harassment Incident on April 15
Aneesa, 25, was crossing Newport Road in Cardiff with her 23-year-old sister when a van driver began an “incessant beeping” directed at them. Initially confused, Aneesa realised the men were targeting them with aggressive catcalls, a form of public sexual harassment now a criminal offence in the UK carrying a maximum two-year prison sentence since April 1.
Aneesa, a teacher, started filming the vehicle after the driver allegedly continued the harassment for several minutes, with one occupant reportedly shouting from the van. She described feeling scared and unnerved by the encounter, noting the men “blatantly do not care” about the distress they cause. Her sister subsequently cancelled a planned solo trip to Edinburgh due to safety concerns.
After discovering the van was untaxed via an online checker, Aneesa reported the vehicle to the DVLA. She intends to report the driver and passenger to South Wales Police. The incident has drawn support online, with many women sharing similar experiences of public harassment.
Pervasive Issue of Public Harassment
Organisations such as ActionAid and Welsh Women's Aid have highlighted public sexual harassment as a “spectrum of violence against women and girls” that limits their participation in society. A 2022 Office for National Statistics survey indicated that 38% of women aged 16 to 34 experienced catcalling in the preceding 12 months. This figure aligns with a Welsh Women’s Aid report last year, which found 92% of survey respondents had faced some form of public sexual harassment, noting significant and lasting impacts.
Despite this, a Sound Cymru survey found 30% of 500 men in Wales considered catcalling not to be harmful. South Wales Police stated: “Catcalling is now a specific criminal offence and it is up to individuals to reflect on and address their own behaviours or they do face being prosecuted.” The police urged victims to report incidents to facilitate an end to such behaviour.
