'Kiss on the cheek'- a crime or sexual assault

[ScrimpshawTheSecond]

I feel terrible for the woman here. She helped out a lorry driver who then kissed her on the cheek - and she is now terrified about corona virus.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-52699104

Men, if you're reading this - just fucking don't do it. Ever, let alone to an elderly woman during a viral pandemic.

I hope they catch the man and he understands what he's done.

A kiss on the cheek in the pandemic is herrendous. whether it would qualify as a crime the same way than coughing at people is, I am not sure.

A kiss on the cheeks in normal times is wrong and how wrong it is will depend a lot of the circumstances imo.

What is REALLY wrong is the reaction of both some posters who are clearly still feeding the line that women consent is automatic.
ANd the reaction of the police who just withdrew the appeal instead of the making it clear it IS a sexual assault (if the law says so)

Pretty sure kissing someone who doesn't want you to is a crime? Or it bloody should be, especially now.

Why cant people keep their hands (and mouths) to themselves.

Why is anyone touching let alone kissing ppl they don’t know in the midst of a pandemic when we are all told to keep 2m apart from ppl we don’t love with? Why couldn’t he just say thank you?? That would have been fine!!

and why do some men think it’s ok to just touch women? Like the ones who move you out of the way in crowded pubs or gigs?

Live with

I would not class it as a sexual assault, it devalues more serious crimes. It was totally inappropriate though in any circumstances, but particularly at this time.

I would not class it as a sexual assault, it devalues more serious crimes.
I don't agree. Touching someone wo their consent is still touching someone wo their consent. Whether its a cheek, their butt or their tits. And that's what sexual assault is. It doesnt have to be violent or involving inserting fingers somewhere etc...
The lack of respect for women's boundary is a major issue and yes I believe that should also include an unwanted kiss.

Where I think things can be more grey is that the intention of a kiss might well not be sexual at all.

I would not class it as a sexual assault, it devalues more serious crimes.

This. I used to regularly kiss family and friends on the cheek before the pandemic. Nothing remotely sexual about it. I agree you shouldn't do it if someone is uncomfortable - and certainly not in the middle of a pandemic when we're supposed to keep 2m away from people. But calling it "sexual assault" is ridiculous.

So, assault then.

I'm unsure about whether it would generally be 'sexual assault' - I've been forcibly kissed on the cheek before (in my own home, when pregnant). Several workmen looming over me, and one roughly kissed my cheek, making it clear he was being lewd. It was humiliating, shaming and frightening, which I'm sure was the intent.

I suppose in the way one can say that rape isn't really sexual, it wasn't sexual, but about him exercising power and control.

However classified, you're quite right, QuestionMark, the police's response is pathetic.

I'm not sure in law it is a sexual assault.

The offence is

Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

(1)A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a)he intentionally causes another person (B) to engage in an activity,

(b)the activity is sexual,

(c)B does not consent to engaging in the activity, and

(d)A does not reasonably believe that B consents

Presumably this was a thank you not sexually motivated. I also think it's not beyond the possibility that a woman would do the same to a man in similar circumstances although I expect posters won't agree that that would ever happen.

It's utterly misguided in the present circumstances - they could have just gone for assault.

A kiss on the cheek in the pandemic is herrendous. whether it would qualify as a crime the same way than coughing at people is, I am not sure

I don't see why not- it's worse if anything as it's direct contact.

In quite a few countries it's customary to kiss people on the cheek, up to 4 times, on meeting. Whether you know them or not. They do the same when they come to the UK. No great harm in it.

No great harm in it.

Did you notice any news articles about this wee corona thing going about at the moment?

Totally obvious I was talking about pre-virus, yawn.

Yes. Totally obvious since you used the word customary.

It was a stupid thing to do but I don’t think it was a sexual assault.

Stupid, wrong and possibly assault on Corona World but not sexual assault.

It may not be sexual but it's almost certainly sexist, would be have done it to a man?

would be have done it to a man?

That was my thought - highly unlikely.

"quite a few countries it's customary to kiss people on the cheek, up to 4 times, on meeting. Whether you know them or not. They do the same when they come to the UK. No great harm in it."

As above- would he have done it to a man?

quite a few countries it's customary to kiss people on the cheek, up to 4 times, on meeting. Whether you know them or not. They do the same when they come to the UK. No great harm in it

I don't agree with that. I come from one of those countries that kiss like this to say hello (and good bye). No way that in THAT country, it would classify as a sexual assault. People would be laughing.

BUT, I also have NEVER kissed anyone in the UK, regardless of whether this is what I do in my home country. I would never dare for the simple reasons that 1- this is not acceptable here (no one I know is ever kissing a friend let alone someone theyve never met before) and 2- this would make those people very unconfortable.
It's impossible for someone not to be aware of that, even if you havent been in the UK very long. This guy would have been aware the second he leaned over to giver her a kiss that it wasn't an acceptable thing to do.

and of course, that's wo the virus. Im how someone would think its ok to do that when you are not allowed to come closer than 2 metres from someone nor allowed to touch their hands.

On the continent, it's not a sexual thing. Both sexes kiss both sexes. I've met a lot of continentals, mainly in this country, and have been kissed a lot. No doubt they were less aware of UK culture than QuestionMarkNow. Though to be honest I prefer not to be kissed by someone I don't know (or by someone I do know, generally speaking). I grin and bear it out of politeness - knowing that it's meant well.

Of course it’s a sexual assault. It was without her consent and a kiss by its definition is obviously sexual. It could be an assault too.

And the police were spineless to withdraw the appeal. What message does that send out to women about unwanted sexual contact?

'A kiss by its definition is obviously sexual'

No it's not!

Of course it’s a sexual assault. It was without her consent and a kiss by its definition is obviously sexual

No a kiss isn't "by definition obviously sexual " In the current climate what happened may well be assault.

It may not be sexual but it's almost certainly sexist, would be have done it to a man?

No he wouldn't. I can imagine some women doing it to a man if the man was the rescuer.

I kiss my children: not sexual
My dogs: not sexual
My best friend: not sexual
Of course a kiss is not sexual by definition

www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/rape-and-sexual-offences-chapter-2-sexual-offences-act-2003-principal-offences-and

Definition of sexual. Cps website.

Taken in the context of the lack of consent in this case it would be investigated as a sexual assault.