In April 2026, a new law came into force in England and Wales making it a crime to intentionally harass someone because of their sex in a public place. Two days later, David Stroud, a 44-year-old from Dartford, Kent, grabbed a woman's hair on a train from Hastings to London and asked, “Can I kiss you?” – becoming the first person convicted under the new offence.
The offence sits under Section 4B of the Public Order Act 1986. It covers intentional harassment directed at a person because of their sex, and was designed to target behaviour that disproportionately affects women and girls in public spaces such as streets, parks and public transport. Before this law, prosecutors could use other offences – like Section 4A of the same Act, which covers harassment intended to cause alarm or distress – but there was no specific offence for sex-based harassment outside of domestic or workplace settings. The new law closes that gap.
“Explains the new sex-based harassment law and the first conviction under it.”
Stroud pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in May 2026. The court heard that he sat next to the woman, leaned on her, called her “magical”, pulled her hair, and asked for a kiss, despite her telling him to stop. The woman, who was on the phone to her boyfriend, said she felt “trapped, powerless and petrified”. Stroud later told police his behaviour was “just banter”. At sentencing, he received a 12-month community order, a 15-day rehabilitation programme, and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also sentenced for a separate 22-month stalking campaign.
This conviction matters for UK readers because it signals a shift in how the criminal justice system treats public harassment. Women and girls have long reported feeling unsafe in public spaces – the victim in this case said she now always needs company when leaving the house. The law provides a clearer legal route for prosecuting behaviour that was often dismissed as “banter” or not serious enough for existing offences. The Crown Prosecution Service called it a “landmark case” and an “important step forward in protecting women and girls”.
Q: What is the new sex-based harassment law? A: It is an offence under Section 4B of the Public Order Act 1986 that came into force on 1 April 2026. It makes it a crime to intentionally harass someone because of their sex in a public place, such as on transport, in a park, or on the street.
Q: What does the law cover? A: It covers intentional harassment motivated by a person’s sex. Examples include unwanted comments, touching, following, or other behaviour that targets someone because they are a woman or girl. It does not replace existing offences like upskirting or exposure but provides a specific charge for sex-based public harassment.
Q: What happened in the first prosecution under this law? A: David Stroud was convicted after grabbing a woman’s hair and asking to kiss her on a train. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, unpaid work, and a rehabilitation programme. The case was brought by British Transport Police and is the first of its kind in England and Wales.
What happens next? The case sets a legal precedent, and police forces across the country are expected to use the new power more widely. The CPS has said it will continue to play its part in “stamping out violence against women and girls”. For now, the law is in force and can be used for any future incidents of sex-based harassment in public.