Michael Sheen joins call for misogyny to be made a hate crime

Michael Sheen has joined a call for misogyny to be made a hate crime.

The actor from Port Talbot has teamed up with a host of male celebrities and high profile figures to back a campaign by Labour MP Stella Creasy to “include misogyny in our hate crime legislation”.

He has put his name to an open letter alongside the likes of comedian Jason Manford and football pundit Gary Neville.

The names of comedian David Baddiel, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal OBE, also feature on the letter.

In the letter to members of the House of Lords, which has been written by Creasy, it is argued  that offences motivated by a hatred of women should be treated similarly as those motivated by racism or religious intolerance.

The Labour politician calls for the UK Government in Westminster to accept the ‘Newlove amendment’ to the Policing Bill when it is debated on January 17.

Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section 66 of the Sentencing Act 2020, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity are protected characteristics and campaigners want sex and gender to be added to the legislation.

‘Treat hatred’ 

The open letter says: “It is right that we already give judges and prosecutors discretion to treat hatred of other protected characteristics as an aggravating factor, but the continuing exclusion of misogyny and misandry from this list risks giving the impression that crimes motivated by hatred of women are somehow less serious than homophobic or racist violence.”

It adds: “Making this simple change would send a powerful symbol about how seriously we as a society take violence against women and girls. It is time to give all women equal protection from being targeted for harm because they are women.

“Please vote for the Newlove amendment.”