North Yorkshire Police to recognise misogyny as a hate crime

Good things come to those who wait

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With the added symbolism of International Women’s Day, the North Yorkshire Police announced yesterday that they will soon adapt their policy to include misogyny when dealing with hate crime. In the coming months, officers will be trained to recognise and prosecute this offence. This is good news for those of us who feel vulnerable just walking up the street.

It is hoped that this alteration will encourage women who are subjected to abuse and harassment will be more likely to report incidents to the police. This follows a move made by Nottinghamshire police in July 2016.

On this matter, Deputy Chief Constable Lisa Winward stated: “Unfortunately, the reality is we live in a world where some women have to take extra measures such as carrying rape alarms or avoiding certain routes, to avoid harassment or potential attack.

“The feeling of vulnerability is real for some women within our communities. The role of the police is to identify and protect those who are vulnerable and I hope that this move will encourage women who are subject to verbal and physical harassment simply because of their gender, to come forward and report it to us”.

She continued: “We know through our work with the North Yorkshire Youth Commission that physical and verbal harassment is an issue that is of concern for young women in North Yorkshire, with some of them experiencing it first-hand. I think this makes our decision even more relevant in the fact that our younger generation are having to consider this matter, that in 2017 misogynistic behaviour is still something that women are experiencing”.