To hope that, after this week's attack in Toronto, police forces here in the UK might realise that hate crime against women is actually a thing?

[LazySundayMornings]

Yes, I know that the vast majority of 'everyday' abuse, assaults and murders of women aren't committed by incels - and don't make the news - but surely the police have to finally acknowledge that women are attacked because they are women and this should be treated as a hate crime?

www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/25/raw-hatred-why-incel-movement-targets-terrorises-women

I don't know. I'm just very uneasy with the idea of 'hate crime' as such - when there are clear indications of racial/gender motivations during an actual assault (e.g. language used), then I think that should be prosecuted as a hate crime.

But if that isn't the case, and the hatred of women/ethnic minorities is only found after the crime, through searching their belongings/internet history, then to me that's verging into the realm of thought crime. There's no actual way of knowing if they were thinking that during the crime.

Also, does the fact that someone was thinking 'I hate women' when they murdered a woman make it worse than if they were a male feminist who murdered a woman?

Personally, I don't think so - I think the crime is equally bad no matter what motivated it.

For me, I think hate crime is similar to terrorism in that its intention and/or effect is to have an impact on a wider group of people than those who are directly victims. E.g. Homophobic attacks deter (other) gay couples from feeling able to hold hands in the street, racist attacks which are aimed at telling wider minority communities that they are "not welcome here" and should "go back home".

Misogynist abuse and assaults are used to put women "in their place" and has the effect of restricting women's freedom of movement and free speech - both in the 'real world' and online. Look at the abuse women get for something as innocuous as campaigning to have a woman on the £5 note www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/27/twitter-trolls-threats-bank-notes-austen . Beyond the effect on the individual woman, it sends a message to all women about what will happen to them if express a political opinion and will deter some women from doing so - and deliberately so. Men do not receive anything like this level of abuse. Why is this more acceptable than abuse based on race or religion?

11 police forces treat abusing goths as a hate crime but only 2 regard misogynist abuse as a hate crime.