We believe, however, that the interest in this brutal incident may signify that public opinion has turned. It is calling out the placid acceptance of the stigmatisation and brutalisation of sex workers and that some people deserve to die violently because of their livelihood, or for defying gender roles. Progressively more people are challenging sexual moralism and old colonial laws that uphold the hatred of women and keep the criminalisation of sex work on our law books.
This points perhaps to one of the most menacing components of a hate crime : it sends a grim message to the victim’s community that they are not wanted, and that they should fear the same harm. Would the passing of the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill into law have made a difference?But, the Bill was introduced to Parliament in 2016 and still lounges there.