Misogyny as a hate crime

Is violence against women being taken seriously enough?

By Natalie Bloomer

The kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard has brought the issue of violence against women and girls into sharp focus in recent days. 

But is there real action being taken or are those in power just paying lip service to the issue? Today we take a look at the national debate as well as what is being said locally.

Nationally

A big topic is whether misogyny should be treated as a hate crime, something many campaigners, including the domestic abuse charity Refuge, are calling for. However, the prime minister this week seemed to dismiss the idea saying it would overload the justice system. 

“I think that what we should do is prosecute people for the crimes we have on the statute book,” Boris Johnson told the BBC.

"...What you need to do is get the police to focus on the very real crimes, the very real feeling of injustice and betrayal that many people feel.”

When justice secretary Dominic Raab was also asked by the BBC about the issue he said:

“Misogyny is absolutely wrong whether …