How the incel subculture of misogyny developed

The incel subculture of selfprofessed in voluntary celibates is a" deeply sexist and misogynistic" development of age-old sexism that has been given a boost with the rise of internet communities, according to a University of St Andrews expert.

Tim Wilson, director of the Centre for the Study of Ter - rori sm and Violence at the University of St Andrews, said: "There's been plenty of sexist, violent men since the dawn of history but the sense of this being a public movement could not exist without the rise of social media and the internet.

"The basic idea, I'm afraid, is the idea that sexual fulfilment is a human right and that as a man not getting it, you're somehow being actively deprived and repressed by women.”

The incel movement gained momentum in 2014 after the Is la Vista killings by Elliot Rodger in California.

He murdered six people before turning his weapon on himself in an act he described as his "war on women" who were not attracted to him.

The killer posted videos online setting out his "manifesto", as well as declaring he would get revenge on women and sexually active men.

Mr Wilson believes Rod ger was a turning point for the subculture as it made him into a "hero" – with some calling him Saint Elliot.

He said: "We have these very dark corners of the internet where lonely, frustrated people can be attracted and reinforce each others' prejudices and world views.

"Out of that comes a grey borderland of socially disturbed killings."

There have been 44 deaths related to incels since 2014, according to Mr Wilson, including te nina Toronto van attack by Alek Minassia in 2018.

Mr Wilson draws a distinction with episodes like these and the 1989 Montreal Massacre – when Marc Lepine killed 14 women – as it to ok place when online platforms were not widespread.

Mr Wilson believes the reason this attack did not have a similar impact as Rodger's is that people with violently sexist views were not able to encourage each others' ideas online.