Making Misogyny a Hate Crime

Joanne McCartney AM proposed, and Marina Ahmad AM seconded, the following motion: 

“This Assembly supports making misogyny a hate crime. This could be achieved through amending current hate crime laws to add sex or gender to the list of protected hate crime characteristics.

This Assembly notes that the Home Office announced that it would ask police forces across the country to record gender-based hate crime on an experimental basis in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard in March, and that this has not yet happened. This Assembly also notes the Metropolitan Police Service’s recent indication that it is supportive of the introduction of recording of gender-based hate crime offences, depending on the outcome of the Law Commission’s review into hate crime legislation.

This Assembly is concerned by the Prime Minister’s recent remarks which appeared to reject the need for changes to current hate crime legislation in order to better protect women and girls. Given the uncertainty and contradicting announcements from the Government on this issue, we call upon the Mayor to write to the Prime Minister and ask him to clarify the Government’s position on making misogyny a hate crime.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote the motion was agreed, with 15 votes being cast in favour and 0 votes being cast against.