Boris Johnson does not support making misogyny a hate crime

Boris Johnson does not support calls to make misogyny a hate crime saying there is "abundant" existing legislation to tackle violence against women.

The PM told the BBC that "widening the scope" of what you ask the police to do would just increase the problem.

Policing of crime against women has come under scrutiny since the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer.

The PM said recruiting and promoting more female officers would also help to change the culture within forces.

Wayne Couzens was given a whole life jail term last week after admitting the kidnap, rape and murder of 33-year-old Ms Everard while he was a Met Police officer.

During his sentencing hearing it emerged that he had used his warrant card to fake an arrest of Ms Everard.

The case has sparked a debate about women's safety as well as trust in the police and criminal justice system.

An inquiry is to take place into Couzens' previous behaviour and conduct, and will widen out into workplace behaviour, professional standards and vetting practices within the police as a whole.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the Conservative Party conference the public "have a right to know" why he remained in the Metropolitan Police despite concerns about his behaviour.

• Why is misogyny not a hate crime?

• Misogyny may be a stand-alone crime in Scotland, says minister

Also speaking at the conference, the new justice secretary, Dominic Raab, said he had been "shocked and horrified" by the recent cases of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, a teacher killed in south-east London last month on her way to meet a friend.

He said making communities safer and allowing women to feel safe walking home at night was his "number one priority".

The government would "transform" the way the justice system treats violence against women, he said, including from the time it takes to examine phone evidence to the "potential ordeal" vulnerable victims can face at trial.

Campaigners say misogyny - prejudice against women - is one of the "root causes" of violence against women and are calling for it to be made a hate crime in England and Wales.

This would give judges the ability to increase the punishment if the offence falls into a hate crime category.

Currently, the law only recognises hate crimes based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.

During an interview with the prime minister, BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker pointed out that 11 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales record misogyny as a hate crime.

Asked twice whether he thought it should be made a hate crime, Mr Johnson said: "I think that what we should do is prosecute people for crimes that we have on the statute book.

"I think, to be perfectly frank, if you simply widen the scope of what you ask the police to do you'll just increase the problem.

"What you need to do is get the police to focus on the very real crimes, the very real feeling of injustice and betrayal that many people feel."

The prime minister said "there must be radical change" in policing when it comes to tackling crimes such as rape, adding: "There is abundant statute that is not being properly enforced, and that's what we need to focus on."

Justice minister Victoria Atkins said it was important to understand why police were not prosecuting these crimes and she had asked police to record instances where the victim felt they were a victim of crime because of their gender.

She told the BBC's World At One it was time to move away from this feeling in society that women have to put up with unpleasant, violent banter and being "touched up" on the Tube or bus.

A working group on whether misogyny should be a distinct crime in Scotland will report back in February.

Nottinghamshire Police was the first police force to introduce a "misogyny hate crime" policy in 2016 and university researchers have pointed to "shifting attitudes" as a result.

Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has long campaigned on the issue, said she was confident there was cross-party support to pass legislation soon that would make all police forces have to record when a crime was motivated by misogyny.

"The fact the prime minister dismisses it and doesn't have an alternative plan speaks volumes about whether you can trust Boris Johnson to take this seriously," she told the BBC.

Initial findings of a review by the Law Commission - an independent body that advises government - said sex or gender-based hostility should become a hate crime, but its official recommendations have not been published yet.

Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who has rejected calls to resign after Ms Everard's death, said a separate a independent review would be carried out into the force's standards and culture.

An extra 650 police officers are to be added to London's streets over the next six months to try to reduce violent crime in the city.