Police chiefs blame influencers like Andrew Tate for fuelling ‘epidemic’ of violence against women and girls – as mother of murdered Libby Squire says social media plays ‘a big part’ in poisoning boys’ thoughts [Video]

06:39 EDT 23 Jul 2024, updated 07:57 EDT 23 Jul 2024

Police chiefs have blamed influencers such as Andrew Tate for fuelling an ‘epidemic’ of violence against women and girls.

A new report published on Tuesday revealed police recorded more than a million crimes against women and girls in 2022/23 – accounting for almost a fifth of all offences excluding fraud – leading bosses to label the crisis a ‘national emergency’.

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, national lead for policing violence against women and girls, said ‘toxic’ misogynist Tate’s influence on young boys online was ‘quite terrifying’.

Tate, who has millions of followers on social media, faces criminal charges in Romania for rape, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, which he denies.

Reacting to the report, Lisa Squire, whose daughter Libby was raped and murdered after being kidnapped walking home after a night out in 2019, claimed that social media and internet pornography played a ‘big part’ in poisoning boys’ thoughts.