The Washington Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of
“up-skirt photography” does not violate the state’s voyeurism
statute. The judges said that two men who took surreptitious photos
and video of women and girls using tiny cameras had engaged in
“disgusting” and “reprehensible” behaviour, but did not violate the
law because the pictures were taken in public places.
According to media reports, Justice Bobbe Bridge wrote in an
unanimous opinion that “the state’s voyeurism statute, as written,
does not prohibit up-skirt photography in a public place.” This is
because the law’s wording does not explicitly protect people from
being photographed in public places.
The court also said that, while people have “reasonable
expectations” of privacy in places such as bathrooms or dressing
rooms, they don’t while working or visiting public places such as
shopping malls.
A law that makes it illegal to take surreptitious photos or
videotapes of “a person’s private parts” has already passed in
California, after police realised that a man caught doing this in
Disneyland could not be charged with doing something illegal.
