The proposed new offense – one of several measures on violence against women announced by the Tory leadership candidate on Wednesday – has been at the center of a long-running campaign by opposition MPs and feminist campaigners, especially after the killings of women such as Sarah Everard, Sabina. Nessa and Zara Aleena. Labor MP Stella Creasy, who has previously tried to amend the law to recognize misogyny in the criminal justice system, said it was a major reversal for Truss when the government had voted against previous plans. Tras’s campaign announced on Wednesday that if elected prime minister, her government would introduce “a stand-alone offense to criminalize street harassment, crack down on aggressive and misogynistic behaviour”. “Over the past two years, our nation has been rocked by a series of high-profile murders of women, many here in London. It is the responsibility of all political leaders, including us in Westminster and the Mayor of London, to do more,” Truss said. “Violence against women and girls does not have to be inevitable. Women should be able to walk the streets without fear of harm and perpetrators should expect to be punished.” An earlier amendment in the House of Lords to make misogyny a hate crime was rejected by ministers in February, but Home Secretary Priti Patel has promised the proposed offense of street harassment will be looked at. Nimko Ali, an independent adviser to the Home Office, suggested at the time that Johnson had blocked any new law. He said there was “push back” and, when asked if it was from advisers to the Prime Minister, replied that it was “much closer”. Creasy said she welcomed Truss’ announcement. “Recognition of how misogyny drives crimes against women is something we are calling for – and the government [has been] voting against – for some time, so this reversal is welcome,” he said. “However, Liz Truss knows that the misogynistic harassment women face is not just on the street – we need a coherent approach across the criminal justice system, learning from those police forces who are already recording these crimes and giving our courts the ability to punish those whose hatred of women means they are trying to harm them.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Truss also promised to introduce a national domestic abuse register and ensure it covers all forms of domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behavior and financial abuse. The registry is intended to offer better protection to potential victims of domestic abuse by requiring convicted offenders to tell the police about their arrangements with new partners and children, with stiff penalties for failing to do so. Police will also have increased powers to share information between the sex offenders register and the new domestic abuse register. Truss’s campaign said it would also look at ways to speed rape cases through the courts. Rachel Maclean, the former protection secretary who supports Truss, said: “Women and girls must be free to live their lives in safety and I know that as Prime Minister Liz will provide stronger safeguards for victims of domestic abuse, including of flagging the most violent offenders. .”
