Far Right and the Press Accused of 'Weaponising Violence Against Women' to Fuel Hatred of Migrants
Support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Britain's media is 'weaponising' violence against women to further racist anti -migrant agenda, according to campaign groups tackling violence against women.
Over 100 women's rights groups, including Rape Crisis and Women's Aid last week signed a joint statement condemning the "weaponisation" of violence against women and girls (VAWG) to fuel anti-migrant sentiment.
The groups warn that politicians and media outlets are sharing false statistics suggesting particular groups are primarily responsible for sexual violence, undermining genuine safety concerns.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, they challenged the "dangerous myth" that the greatest risk to women and girls comes from strangers - when most violence occurs in homes by known perpetrators.
Official figures show that 90% of rape perpetrators are known to victims, one in two rapes are by partners/ex-partners, and one woman is murdered by a partner every four days in the UK.
The statement comes as Reform UK and far-right activists have increasingly attempted to present asylum seekers as a threat to women and girls.
These statements have been widely reported in the media and promoted by commentators at national newspapers and on broadcast media.
A meeting hosted by Reform UK's council leader in the party's stronghold of Maidstone (Kent) this Tuesday aimed to conflate asylum seekers with violence against women and girls. The meeting was put on with the anti-migration group Women's Safety Initiative (WSI).
It came just days after it was revealed that a former Reform UK Councillor at KCC is to stand trial at Margate Crown Court for allegedly threatening to kill his wife.
The event was slammed by opposition groups and domestic abuse charities. According to a local source, a spokesperson at the event claimed to attendees that "hundreds of thousands of young women have been murdered by immigrants."
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
It comes amid a wave of anti-migrant protests outside asylum accommodation across England - with many protesters claiming to be protecting "our" women and girls.
But campaigners working in the sector note that the anti-immigrant riots following the murder of girls in Southport last summer, saw two-fifths of those arrested had histories of domestic abuse - casting major doubt on the claim that the protesters were there to protect women.
Speaking to Byline Times, Sinéad Geoghegan, a spokesperson for the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW Coalition) said the far right had "long exploited" genuine concerns about sexual violence to promote "racist, white supremacist agendas", with mainstream politicians and newspaper now worryingly adopting similar rhetoric.
Geoghegan said: "We see across society reinforcement in the media and by politicians of the "stranger danger" myth. Obviously that's not to say women aren't harmed by strangers. But at the same time, we can't lose sight that the vast majority of domestic abuse and sexual violence is carried out by someone known to the victim - a partner, ex-partner, or in cases of child sexual abuse, often a family member."
She criticised parts of the media for "reinforc[ing] harmful narratives" about sexual violence when it comes to asylum seekers.
EVAW Coalition are concerned by a growing media ecosystem - of traditional media, social media, and political rhetoric - which forms a vicious cycle where harmful narratives go viral online, get picked up by n...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Britain's media is 'weaponising' violence against women to further racist anti -migrant agenda, according to campaign groups tackling violence against women.
Over 100 women's rights groups, including Rape Crisis and Women's Aid last week signed a joint statement condemning the "weaponisation" of violence against women and girls (VAWG) to fuel anti-migrant sentiment.
The groups warn that politicians and media outlets are sharing false statistics suggesting particular groups are primarily responsible for sexual violence, undermining genuine safety concerns.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, they challenged the "dangerous myth" that the greatest risk to women and girls comes from strangers - when most violence occurs in homes by known perpetrators.
Official figures show that 90% of rape perpetrators are known to victims, one in two rapes are by partners/ex-partners, and one woman is murdered by a partner every four days in the UK.
The statement comes as Reform UK and far-right activists have increasingly attempted to present asylum seekers as a threat to women and girls.
These statements have been widely reported in the media and promoted by commentators at national newspapers and on broadcast media.
A meeting hosted by Reform UK's council leader in the party's stronghold of Maidstone (Kent) this Tuesday aimed to conflate asylum seekers with violence against women and girls. The meeting was put on with the anti-migration group Women's Safety Initiative (WSI).
It came just days after it was revealed that a former Reform UK Councillor at KCC is to stand trial at Margate Crown Court for allegedly threatening to kill his wife.
The event was slammed by opposition groups and domestic abuse charities. According to a local source, a spokesperson at the event claimed to attendees that "hundreds of thousands of young women have been murdered by immigrants."
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
It comes amid a wave of anti-migrant protests outside asylum accommodation across England - with many protesters claiming to be protecting "our" women and girls.
But campaigners working in the sector note that the anti-immigrant riots following the murder of girls in Southport last summer, saw two-fifths of those arrested had histories of domestic abuse - casting major doubt on the claim that the protesters were there to protect women.
Speaking to Byline Times, Sinéad Geoghegan, a spokesperson for the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW Coalition) said the far right had "long exploited" genuine concerns about sexual violence to promote "racist, white supremacist agendas", with mainstream politicians and newspaper now worryingly adopting similar rhetoric.
Geoghegan said: "We see across society reinforcement in the media and by politicians of the "stranger danger" myth. Obviously that's not to say women aren't harmed by strangers. But at the same time, we can't lose sight that the vast majority of domestic abuse and sexual violence is carried out by someone known to the victim - a partner, ex-partner, or in cases of child sexual abuse, often a family member."
She criticised parts of the media for "reinforc[ing] harmful narratives" about sexual violence when it comes to asylum seekers.
EVAW Coalition are concerned by a growing media ecosystem - of traditional media, social media, and political rhetoric - which forms a vicious cycle where harmful narratives go viral online, get picked up by n...
Activity