Misogyny should be hate crime, campaign groups tell Bracadale review

Misogyny – harassing behaviour diorected against women – should be made a hate crime, according to submissions to the review looking at the whole area of hate crime in Scotland.

The idea is supported by both the Equality & Human Rights Commission and Scottish Women's Aid in separate submissions to the review by judge Lord Bracadale, which is due to report during the spring.

It also has the support of Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, who wants a trial scheme by Nottinghamshire Police to be extended nationwide. The scheme involves incidents such as wolf whistling, strteet harassment, verbal abuse and taking photos without consent being recorded as hate crime. Two other forces have since followed suit.

Rape Crisis Scotland also highlights the problem of online harassment, which Sandy Brindley of the organisation described as at "epidemic levels", with a "really chilling effect" on women's activity online.

A further group, Fathers4Justice, believes any law should extend to any form of sexist abuse, arguing that both men and women can be victims as well as perpetrators of abuse.