Ministers: Make misogyny a hate crime

MISOGYNY could become a hate crime following a review ordered by ministers.

The Law Commission has been asked to investigate if it should sit alongside offences in which victims are attacked for their race, religion or sexual orientation.

Campaigners have been calling for the abuse of women because of their sex to be punishable by law. Misogyny has been defined as ‘contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls’. Incidents could include harassment in the street, verbal abuse, unwanted physical approaches, taking photographs without consent or sending unwanted text messages.

If agreed, abuse directed at women could lead to tougher sentences in the courts. Justice minister Lucy Frazer told the Commons the Government wanted to ensure hate crime legislation was ‘up to date and consistent’. The move was a victory for Labour MP Stella Creasy, who tabled an amendment calling for a review of draft legislation on voyeurism.

She said the true extent of the problem was being ‘masked’ in the criminal justice system because misogyny is not recognised as a hate crime.

She said tackling misogyny was ‘ not about banter and it is not about telling all men they are rapists. This is not about criminalising wolf-whistling. It is about recognising existing crimes that are motivated by hostility towards somebody because of their gender, because of what they are – hate crimes.’

A pilot scheme by Nottinghamshire police to record misogyny as a hate crime could now be rolled out across all 43 forces in England and Wales.