Sarah Everard – a 33 year old marketing executive from London.
After leaving a friend’s house near Clapham on 3 March 2021, Sarah was never seen alive again. Kidnapped and brutally murdered, her name will forever be remembered.
Her death has shone a spotlight on the crisis of violence that is forcing women across the country to live in fear. Now is the time to act.
Attitudes towards women must change and tackling the misogyny that drives this violence is key. Campaigns that target and educate perpetrators to change behaviours, highlighting examples of good practice and encouraging reporting by bystanders and third parties should be properly funded and rolled out across the nation.
Minimum sentences for the most serious criminals like stalkers and rapists need to be increased and the appallingly low levels of convictions for sexual violence and domestic abuse seriously addressed.
We have a “once in a generation” chance for sweeping reforms to sentencing and protections for women and girls as part of the Government’s Policing, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill – the opportunity cannot be wasted.
Violence against women and girls comes in many forms – from harassment or abuse in workplaces, public spaces and the home, through to serious violence such as rape and homicide and this bill must be changed to reflect that.
France, for example, introduced a law in 2018 so that public harassment – including things like catcalling, unwanted sexual attention or degrading comments – can result in an on-the-spot fine of €750. There is no reason why that can’t be done here.
Misogyny should also be added to the list of hate crimes, alongside those that are homophobic, biphobic and transphobic, or based on race, disability or religion.
Hate crime is criminal behaviour where the perpetrator is motivated by hostility, or demonstrates hostility, towards a characteristic of the victim.
A hate crime can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and bullying, as well as damage to property. In the UK, there were 67,000 incidents of hate crime based on sex in 2018 – 57,000 of which were targeted at women.
Without recognising the role of misogyny in the experiences of women, our legal and criminal justice system masks the true extent of the hostility and what is really happening on the ground.
Finally, when women and girls are attacked or murdered, gaps in the current laws suggest the need for tougher and longer sentences. Someone who abducts, assaults and murders a victim with a certain amount of pre-meditation should be eligible for a Whole Life Tariff.
Many female victims are abused and killed in the home and an Independent Review is required to look at increasing sentences for domestic homicide, as well as looking into implementing a Statutory Defence for Domestic Abuse Survivors.
All of this will come too late to help Sarah Everard and the many others who suffer every year. Let’s make sure we act now to stop future generations of women also having to live their lives in fear and distress.
