One of the unfortunate side effects of growing urban populations has been the emergence of unconventional sexual assault violations in areas too crowded to identify the culprit. In particular, a crime known as froteurismo has become a problem in urban centers with massive converging populations. This is a common problem in cities like Tokyo and Delhi, and has certainly been mentioned as a problem in busy areas in America.
Although the terminology may not be well known, frotteurism is defined as sexual assault in the form of touching another person without consent. In particular, those who engage in this behavior will rub against another person for some type of sexual gratification.
Some people may have preconceived ideas about what frotteurs are like, and in particular that only men engage in this type of behavior. However, there are reported cases of female frotteurs, as well as no particular limitation to heteronormativity, meaning that female frotteurs may assault other women and male frotteurs may assault other men. Despite the possible diversity of those who engage in this illegal behavior, it is true that the majority of cases can be attributed to men.
If caught frotteur, the sentence is not particularly harsh in most jurisdictions. However, due to the crime’s status as a sex crime, there are certain punishments that may be accompanied by a guilty verdict. In particular, a sex crime in the United States will generally add the convicted person to a sex crime registry list, making her crime public to those around her and her potential business associates. In addition, a small penalty, usually in the form of a fine, may be imposed on the offender.
For more information on sexual assault, contact a sex crimes attorney.