Forms of Catcalling

  1. Verbal actions in catcalling are often carried out by a group of men on the side of the road when they see women passing by. Even though it takes the form of "compliments," this action makes women feel uncomfortable, because it is carried out by strangers and often contains words like "you're beautiful," "girl," or "dear."
  2. Non-verbal actions in catcalling involve flirtatious eye play and body expressions with the intention of giving an assessment of a woman's appearance, which can also create discomfort.
  3. On social media, catcalling perpetrators often engage in suspicious or sexually suggestive conversations. This can take the form of compliments, greetings, or even inappropriate jokes. All forms of catcalling can cause women to feel disturbed and unsafe in public and online spaces.

How to Prove Catcalling

Based on Article 183 of the Criminal Procedure Code, at least two pieces of evidence are valid to prove the existence of the crime. Meanwhile, in Article 184 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the valid evidence includes:

  1. Witness testimony
  2. Expert testimony
  3. Letter
  4. Clue
  5. Defendant's testimony

From the five pieces of evidence above, the victim can use this evidence as valid evidence. In this case, if catcalling is carried out in an open space, then it is most appropriate to use witness testimony as evidence; if catcalling is carried out in a room with CCTV, then CCTV can be used as circumstantial evidence or added with other witness statements. If catcalling is carried out virtually, then screenshots/screen recordings can be used as valid evidence.