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All police forces in England and Wales to record misogyny as hate crime, it has been revealed

All police forces in England and Wales will record misogyny as a hate crime following the killing of Sarah Everard, who disappeared while walking home in south London. A Metropolitan police officer has been charged with her kidnap and murder.

In the wake of the incident, the Government has instructed all police forces to start recording crimes motivated by sex or gender on an “experimental basis” from autumn – meaning offences involving misogyny may now be classified as a hate crime, alongside race, disability, and other protected characteristics.

Announcing the move last month, Junior Home Office Minister Susan Williams said: “[The government] will ask police forces 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 has also been confirmed that the new instructions will not require the law to change as it is “already possible” to categorise these offences as hate crimes.

The move means that the rest of England and Wales will fall into line with 10 regional police forces, including Nottinghamshire, who already record gender-motivated offences.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that race-related hate crime increased by over a third in the West Midlands in 2020.

According to official statistics, police recorded 6,755 race-related hate crimes across the region in 2020 – a 36 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

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Jonathan Hall

Managing Director