Thank you to the many constituents getting in touch regarding crimenotcompliment campaign on sexual harassment.
Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is of the utmost importance. I am proud to stand on a manifesto which pledge to continue the fight against the perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
Hate crime, in all its forms, goes directly against the values of our country, and it is completely unacceptable that anyone in our society should live in fear of intimidation or violence. As such, we must face down discrimination wherever we see it.
Since the publication of the Hate Crime Action Plan in 2016, I have been encouraged by the progress that has been made, which has seen an increase in reporting and improvements in the identification and recording of crime by the police.
However, rates of attrition within the criminal justice system remain high, and targeted online abuse continues to present a significant problem.
You may be aware of the wide-ranging Law Commission review into hate crime. Work on this is well underway and the review will identify any gaps within the current legislation and determine whether sex or gender should be added to hate crime law. The Law Commission’s consultation closed on 24th December 2020 and the government will be considering the review’s recommendations when they are complete.
You can see further details on the link below:
I am sure that you will agree the importance of allowing the Law Commission to complete its work in this area. However, the government recently announced that on an experimental basis, police forces will be asked to identify and record any crimes of violence against the person, including stalking and harassment, as well as sexual offences where the victim perceives it to have been motivated by a hostility based on their sex.
It is my understanding that Ministers will shortly begin the consultation with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and forces on this with a view to commencing the experimental collection of data from this autumn. While this is not making misogyny a hate crime, it can inform longer-term decisions once the government has considered the recommendations made by the Law Commission.
If you would like to discuss this further or any other matter, then please do not hesitate to contact me.
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