Dutch court fines man in first conviction under new sexual harassment law

Public prosecutors said 14 cases in the Netherlands had begun since July, with three dismissed due to a lack of evidence and the rest waiting on the courts. Photograph: Marcel Krol/Getty Images

A court in the Netherlands has fined a man for harassing and intimidating a woman on a street in Rotterdam, in the first conviction under a new law tackling sexual harassment in public spaces.

The 33-year-old man was fined €100 (£84) by a court in Rotterdam on Wednesday, months after he was accused of grabbing a woman on the street by the hips and holding her. The court set out an additional fine of €180 if he is caught reoffending.