Laurence Fox has arrived in court for his hearing after being charged with upskirting over images shared of TV personality Narinder Kaur.
He was charged under Sections 66A and 66B of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which was amended by the Online Safety Act 2023.
The first charge alleges he shared a ‘photograph or film of a person in an intimate state, intending to cause alarm, distress or humiliation’.
The second relates to sending a ‘photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation’.
Earlier this year, he pleaded not guilty to the sexual offence charges and in today’s hearing is attempting to have his Section 66A charge dismissed.
He is accused of re-posting an image of Kaur to his X account in April 2024 after an argument with the GMB star online over politics.
If convicted of upskirting, Fox, 47, faces up to two years in prison and could be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 relates to ‘cyberflashing’ and makes it illegal to intentionally share a sexual image of someone without their consent.
Fox has also submitted an abuse-of-process application, which will be addressed in this court hearing.
Kaur, known for Big Brother, arrived in court with her husband, Jatinder Punia, after waiving her right to anonymity.
She previously told The Times: “It’s like being assaulted every day, every time I tweet or go online… Every day I wake up and go to sleep horrified.
‘It’s all because Laurence Fox and his gang of Merry Men decided I needed to be put in my place. I want it to go away, to disappear.’
Fox did apologise publicly on X after the post, stating it was ‘not my fault’ Kaur had been photographed in a compromising position over 15 years ago.
The picture was taken in 2009 when the TV personality was getting out of a taxi, captured without her knowledge or consent.
Who is supporting Metro’s This Is Not Right campaign?
Metro is being supported by several charities and organisations in our bid to raise awareness of violence against women.
Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid, the formal partner of This Is Not Right, is the UK’s national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Randip Thompson, Director of Income Generation and Engagement at Women’s Aid, says: ‘Women’s Aid is proud to be supporting Metro’s This is Not Right Campaign. There is currently an epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in this country, which society needs to come together and actively challenge if we are to overcome it and protect women from abuse.
‘The media has a pivotal role to play in ending VAWG, through spreading awareness of this gender-based abuse and empowering the public to take action against it. Campaigns like This Is Not Right are invaluable for positively changing narratives around abuse and ensuring that survivors feel validated and supported.’
Refuge
Refuge, the UK’s largest domestic abuse organisation, works to support thousands of women and their children overcome the impacts of abuse.
Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge, says: ‘Despite the horrific scale of VAWG that we are witnessing, this devastating, systemic issue is still not talked about enough.
‘Refuge will be supporting Metro on the launch of their new awareness-raising campaign as we continue on our mission to actively challenge harmful and pervasive societal attitudes around VAWG, recognising that how media write about and report on these crimes and the social issue of misogyny impacts us all.
‘We must all stand together against VAWG and domestic abuse, and we look forward to working with Metro to shift perceptions and show survivors that support is out there.’
White Ribbon
White Ribbon is the UK’s leading charity engaging men and boys to understand their role in ending violence against women and girls.
White Ribbon UK, says: ‘As the global symbol for ending violence against women and girls, it’s important that the White Ribbon is visible and raises awareness of the importance of preventing violence against women and girls across society.
‘The work that Metro has committed to doing in paying close attention to the way they report violence against women and girls is really important, and contributes to a shift in understanding about the responsibility every single person, especially men and boys, have in creating a world where women and girls can live free from the fear of and of violence.
‘By positively engaging male readers, we can provide space where they can better understand the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence on women and girls and learn strategies to become allies.’
End Violence Against Women (EVAW)
EVAW is a coalition of more than 160 feminist organisations and experts from across the UK, working to end violence against women and girls in all forms.
Deniz Uğur, Deputy Director of EVAW, says: ‘Media reporting has a huge influence on attitudes about violence against women and girls, which in turn influences behaviours and shapes access to justice and support. It’s crucial that reporting reflects the scale of gender-based violence, connects individual women’s stories to the systems that enable this abuse, identifies the root causes of male violence and treats our stories sensitively and with dignity.
‘By informing the public, reshaping narratives, holding institutions and perpetrators to account and highlighting support services available to victims and survivors, Metro’s campaign can play a powerful role in ending and preventing violence against women and girls.
‘This is a pivotal moment for change – women and girls deserve better.’
Killed Women
Killed Women is an organisation and network for the bereaved families of women who were killed by men, who work to protect women’s lives and ensure justice.
Julie Devey, Chair and Co-Founder of Killed Women, says: ‘We at Killed Women value the support and reporting of issues surrounding Violence Against Women and Girls by Metro.
‘As a campaigning network of bereaved families we have a deep understanding of the suffering of victims and co victims in this area of crime and misuse of power by men.
‘Everyone has a role to play in bringing about change to create better and safer communities for women. This is not a feminist issue, this is a societal issue and one which demands that men play their part too. Men and boys need to be on board with creating a tidal change in the way women and girls are viewed and only then will we begin to embark on becoming a safer country. Talking about VAWG issues and challenging one another openly is how Metro can help bring this problem to light.’
The Circle
Founded by singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox, The Circle is a global feminist organisation committed to standing in solidarity and action with women facing violence and injustice across the world.
Raakhi Shah, CEO of The Circle, says: ‘The relentless epidemic of violence against women is abhorrent and we, at The Circle, are working tirelessly with our grassroots partners and changemaker activists to address this injustice. We are delighted to support Metro’s This is Not Right Campaign, which seeks to shine a spotlight on the issue of violence against women and show how we can all contribute, through collective and individual actions to bring about real meaningful change.
‘Joining together in solidarity with campaigns like this, can and we hope will, make a difference to the lives of women and girls here in the UK and worldwide.’
Woman’s Trust
Woman’s Trust is a mental health charity providing free counselling and therapy for women who have experienced domestic abuse.
Heidi Riedel, CEO of Woman’s Trust charity, says: ‘The time for a national conversation about the escalating level and multifaceted impact of violence against women and girls is long overdue.
‘For too long, the violence and abuse has been treated either as individual incidents or as a criminal justice problem. This has left women with a system they don’t trust.
‘Set up by a group of domestic abuse survivors and counsellors who realised there was nothing to address the emotional and psychological trauma caused by domestic abuse, Woman’s Trust has supported tens of thousands of female survivors over the last three decades or so.’
‘It’s our hope that This Is Not Right will encourage bold conversations at national, policy, local and community level. The survivors of abuse and the women and girls of the UK deserve better.’
Rape Crisis England & Wales
Rape Crisis England & Wales delivers specialist services to those affected by sexual violence and abuse, and aims to educate, influence and make change.
Ciara Bergman, Rape Crisis CEO, says: ‘Ending violence against women and girls requires a whole societal response including challenging and changing the harmful attitudes, practices and policies which enable it to happen in the first place, and to continue virtually unpunished.
‘The way we talk about, depict and report on violence against women and girls matters. Media reporting should accurately and consistently reflect not only the scale and impact of sexual violence and abuse experienced by women and girls, but also how normalised and tolerated it is within society.
‘Half of all rapes against women are perpetrated by the victim-survivor’s partner or ex-partner, and yet this issue is woefully under-reported. Naming and ending rape culture is a vital component of any societal response to sexual violence and abuse, and that’s why we’re so pleased to support Metro’s This Is Not Right campaign, which aims not just to highlight the issue but to empower readers to be part of the change.’
Southall Black Sisters (SBS)
SBS is a leading ‘by and for’ Black, minoritised and migrant women’s organisation addressing domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) from these communities.
Selma Taha, Executive Director of SBS, says: ‘To end the scourge of VAWG, it is vital for the media to step up and take responsibility. For too long, mainstream media narratives have reinforced the culture of victim-disbelief and contributed to the trivialisation of VAWG.
‘The detrimental impact of this narrative is exacerbated for Black, minoritised and migrant women, who face disproportionate levels of VAWG due to additional barriers to support created by structural discrimination, hostile environment policies and institutionally racist practices. The media’s reproduction of stereotypes and misinformation, along with the erasure of these voices and experiences from public discourse, further exacerbates the problem.
‘We welcome the This Is Not Right campaign and its intention to adopt an intersectional approach in its coverage. It is crucial that the campaign considers the impact of law, policy, and practice on Black, minoritised and migrant victim-survivors and holds the government accountable for any exclusions of these communities from its plans to halve VAWG. This can help ensure that Black, minoritised and migrant women and girls aren’t left behind.’
AAFDA
AAFDA – Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse – was founded in 2008 to provide expert advocacy and peer support to those bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse related suicides and unexplained deaths.
Frank Mullane, Founder and CEO of AAFDA, says: ‘We wholeheartedly support the Metro campaign calling out the huge problem of violence against women and girls.
‘For nearly 20 years, we in AAFDA have been working to both highlight the brutal truth about the prevalence and recurring nature of VAWG and to increase and improve interventions which prevent it.
‘Most of this violence and abuse does not get formally reported and family, friends and community members usually get to hear about it first. But they are often uninformed as regards to the characteristics of this abuse and how they can respond in ways to keep the victim and themselves safe.
‘The Metro campaign serves a critical purpose, which is first to help raise awareness in the community of the nature of this sickening societal affliction. Everyone really should do their bit to keep women and girls safe and that starts by becoming informed about how to do this.’