The Government has been accused of failing women after confirming it does not intend to make misogyny a hate crime. Home Office minister Sarah Dines said the Government is in agreement with the Law Commission and does not intend to bring forward legislation to add sex or gender as a protected characteristic in hate crime law.
An independent report by the Law Commission in December 2021 warned that such a change "may prove more harmful than helpful" to victims and to efforts to tackle hate crime more broadly. On Tuesday Ms Dines, who is safeguarding minister, confirmed the Government shares the commission's concerns.
The commission's report stated: "While we consider that there is a serious problem of crime that is connected to misogyny, we have concluded that the particular model of hate crime laws is unlikely to prove an effective response to misogynistic offending, and may prove more harmful than helpful, both to victims of violence against women and girls, and also to efforts to tackle hate crime more broadly. We suggest that reforms in other areas are more likely to result in tangible, positive results."
