Stalking victims to be given better protection
Victims of stalking will be better protected from their abusers under newly unveiled government proposals.
The Home Office said other rights of people being stalked include learning the identity of the online stalker as soon as possible.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper promised the government would use “every tool at its disposal” to wrest power from abusers.
In England and Wales, around one in five women aged 16 and over Been the victim of stalking at least onceofficial data shows.
Proposed ‘right to know’ statutory guidance aims to ensure police can reassure those being stalked that they will be informed of the identity of their online abuser at the earliest possible opportunity.
The government said it had worked with broadcaster and activist Nicola Thorp, whose stalker is serving a 30-month jail term, to develop new protections.
Ms Thorpe was unable to identify her stalker until he appeared in court.
Stalking protection orders – which can ban an alleged stalker from contacting or keeping a distance from a victim – will also be more widely enforced, the government said.
The changed approach will enable courts to enforce these orders after conviction even if they are not issued before a criminal trial, a change from the current system which requires prior orders to be issued.
Offenders will also be banned from contacting victims in prison, the Home Office said.
If a defendant is acquitted, the court can still apply for a protection order against them if there is sufficient evidence that they still pose a risk to someone.
Cooper said the victims were “brutally abused by the stalker” who used “any means necessary” to monitor and control their lives.
She added: “Today’s measures are an important part of our cross-government mission to halve violence against women and girls within ten years.”
Other promised changes include:
- Review stalking legislation to see if the law can be changed to further support police in detecting stalking and arresting offenders
- Define tracking behavior in statutory guidance and set out a legal framework to help support services work together and ensure people do not fail by missing out on important information
- Home Office to publish new data on stalking crime
- The department will also develop national standards for offender tracking schemes to ensure consistency across England and Wales
The policy changes follow a major review by three police watchdogs in September Police forces in England and Wales don’t protect victims of stalking enoughputting some people at “serious risk.”
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: “As a victim of stalking myself, I know how horrific it can be to be affected by this type of controlling behaviour.”
She added that the proposals were “just a first step” and pledged that the government “will do more to combat this disgusting crime that no one should have to experience”.
Claire Waxman, London’s independent victims’ commissioner, welcomed the changes, saying the criminal justice system had struggled to respond robustly to stalking for too long, leaving “offenders unable to be deterred and victims at risk”. .
