Criminal misogyny

sir – It is deeply disappointing that Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, will not support Baroness Newlove’s amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, to ensure that crimes driven by misogyny are recorded by the police as hate crimes.

We disagree with the Home Secretary’s claim that adding misogyny to existing hate crime laws would be merely “tokenistic” and prove “more harmful than helpful”, as well as the claim that this change would make it harder to prosecute sexual offences and domestic abuse.

The Newlove amendment includes a proposal for a “carve out” for sexual offences and domestic abuse offences, which explicitly distinguishes between them and other forms of crime that may be motivated by misogyny, such as online abuse or street harassment.

The use of “sex or gender” follows the approach proposed by the Law Commission report on hate crime, ensuring that all crimes motivated by misogyny (or misandry) are captured by the new law. This amendment could transform how crimes against women and girls are dealt with, and would mean that the motivation for a crime based on sex or gender is treated in the same way as hostility towards other characteristics such as race or religion.

The benefits of recording crimes as misogyny are clear. In 2016, Nottinghamshire Police became the first force in the country to do so. There was a 25 per cent increase in reporting of crimes motivated by misogyny, demonstrating improved public awareness and an increase in survivors’ confidence. This success underscores the need for change.

We hope that MPS take a stand against violence against women and girls, and vote to support the Newlove amendment on February 28.

Ruth Davison

CEO, Refuge

Sue Fish

Former Chief Constable Nottinghamshire Police

Professor Louise Mullany

University of Nottingham and seven others; see telegraph.co.uk