Stalking Awareness Week

Stalking is defined by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust as 'a pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour which is repeated, persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence or engenders alarm and distress in the victim'. It is a crime of ‘psychological terror’, with 73% of victims experiencing symptoms consistent with PTSD.

Despite this, victims can face significant challenges accessing appropriate support and protection. In November 2022, the National Stalking Consortium launched a super-complaint against the police, highlighting systemic and deep-rooted issues across police forces that were putting victims at risk.

This was the case for a member of our Women’s Advisory Network, who experienced stalking between late 2021 – 2022 by someone she briefly dated for 8 weeks.

Here, she highlights how her experience reflects the ways victims of stalking are so commonly failed by the police, CPS and courts, and reflects on any progress made.

Lack of understanding amongst officers as to what constitutes stalking

Recognising stalking relies on effective identification of its patterns and its interconnected nature. Research from Suzy Lamplugh Trust highlights that victims are frequently let down by a lack of understanding or refusal to take seriously the signs of stalking from relevant agencies such as GPs, police and the CPS.

This results in “inadequate investigation or collation of stalking evidence and downgrading of charges to offences such as harassment and malicious communications, despite there being evidence of stalking.” This not only prevents accurately identifying the risk posed by perpetrators, but also prevents effective prosecution, and accurate recording of stalking’s prevalence.

I accepted a lesser charge of harassment each time at court as the CPS advised me to, saying it would be harder to get a stalking charge so it would be better for me. In hindsight, I should have said no as it was stalking but I trusted the CPS in the beginning and was so scared.

Issues applying or responding to breaches of protection orders

In the months and months of reporting I did to the police, sometimes daily, not one officer offered me a SPO (stalking protection order). I was at a meeting with the women’s organisation that was supporting me, where a VAWG Sergeant from the police was there who told me I should have been offered one months previous. She promised to look into it and get an officer to call me. When they did eventually call the policeman said he’d never filled a SPO application out before and hadn’t even heard of one.

In the end, as I had a restraining order, they wouldn’t agree one for me. By the end, I had a restraining order and non-molestation order and he breached both numerous times with no repercussions. On one instance, he was arrested after turning up at my workplace, before coming to my house at night, and despite that the police didn’t even attend my call until the next morning. He got an 8 week sentence suspended for 12 months, so effectively nothing changed.

Failing to recognise the psychological impact on victims

I feel the police showed me hardly any empathy, apart from maybe one officer I spoke to. I made 22 calls and went to the station a couple of times; as the police were always in twos I probably spoke to more than 40 officers! The worst instance was when he had breached the restraining order yet again, officers arrived at my house at 1am. They initially refused to take a statement, saying it hadn’t been a breach. I had to stand my ground and speak to his sergeant by phone, who confirmed I was right. I’d never felt so uncomfortable, sat there in my own home in my pyjamas in the early hours of the morning being belittled by two police officers, who even after being corrected and made to take a statement never apologised.

My stalker was eventually imprisoned after I went to court 3 times. The first time I went to court I was a broken mess, and didn’t present my evidence as he had plead guilty on a lesser charge and I couldn’t face it – by the 3rd time I knew unless I fought for justice it wouldn’t happen. I said I wanted to read my own victim impact statement to show the huge impact he’d had on me. It worked, and he got the longest sentence he could in a magistrates’ court.

After his release, he was allowed to move less than a mile away from where I live and just outside of the restraining order zone. He ended up closer to me than he ever lived before! The first few times I saw him, I just froze. I often see him now and the more it happens the more I feel stronger to cope, but I’m still scared that will never leave me.

Where we are now

In December 2024, the new government announced their response to the super-complaint, alongside 6 new measures intended to better protect victims.

These included making SPOs more widely available, with courts given the power to apply them directly, without application from the police.

My view is that whilst these new measures are great, the police need to be up-to-date for them to work. Only 7 police forces who responded to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust requests for information last year reported having at least 1 dedicated stalking officer, and 12 had none.

There needs to be greater resource for specialist services that can offer support to women experiencing stalking, through Independent Stalking or Domestic Violence Advocates (ISA/IDVAs). My IDVA was a huge support when I attended court, picking me up and supporting me through the process: I couldn’t have survived it without her.

I also had an advocate from Paladin, who knew the law inside out for stalking so if the police were letting me down she would speak to them on my behalf when I was too broken to fight my corner. Without these services I wouldn’t like to say where I would be today. They are worth their weight in gold and as soon as stalking starts the police should give details on these services or there should be a referral process straight into them.

The police need to do more to help stalking victims. It is not our fault it is happening, yet I was told to move, change my phone number, stop using social media. No! The police should do their job to stop the stalking; it’s the perpetrator who needs to change, not the victim.

I’m no longer a victim - I’m a survivor and I’ll continue to tell my story in the hope it helps others.

Further information:

• Stalking Awareness Week runs 21st to the 27th April 2025.
• The Suzy Lamplugh Trust also offers help and advice around stalking, including running the National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300).
• Their 2024 report, ‘Join Forces Against Stalking: From Disclosure to Conviction’, provides greater detail on the challenges outlined above.