'Being stalked was worse than being held at gunpoint'

A pistillate who was held astatine gunpoint by her ex-partner has said the ordeal was "not arsenic atrocious arsenic being stalked" arsenic she criticised the "shockingly low" fig of extortion orders issued.

Rhianon Bragg, from Rhosgadfan adjacent Caernarfon, Gwynedd was held hostage for 8 hours with a shotgun successful 2019.

Five Stalking Prevention Orders (SPOs) were issued by Welsh constabulary forces successful 2023, contempt much than 8,000 reports being made, a BBC Wales Live probe found.

Police said stalking was a precedence and they were committed to tackling the crime.

Ms Bragg said she was subjected to controlling and threatening behaviour from her ex-partner Gareth Wyn Jones done astir of their five-year relationship.

"I pulled up, got retired of the car, and past from conscionable successful beforehand of me, Gareth leapt retired from the shadows, shotgun up astatine my chest," she said.

"I screamed. It was a daze but not a surprise."

SPOs were introduced successful January 2020, conscionable aft her ordeal.

"Sometimes I deliberation 'would that person made a quality to me?' But really if present we are astir 5 years aboriginal and these things inactive aren't being implemented, they're not making a quality to anybody."

Police accidental the orders are conscionable 1 instrumentality successful their container of ways to tackle the crime, but Ms Bragg was captious of however they person been used.

"It's not a utile instrumentality if you don't prime it up and usage it. It becomes a discarded of abstraction successful your instrumentality box."

Ms Bragg said the 5 SPOs issued successful Wales successful 2023 was not enough.

"I deliberation the bottommost enactment is that the orders are not moving and thing needs to beryllium done astir that.

"Until stalking is recognised arsenic the wide contented it is, and until arsenic a nine we woody with it effectively. Wales is not anyplace arsenic adjacent arsenic harmless arsenic it could be," she added.

SPOs are a civilian bid which purpose to support victims from further harassment.

Police use to the magistrates for an order, and if granted - it is simply a transgression offence to breach its terms.

A Freedom of Information petition showed lone 5 SPOs were issued successful Wales successful 2023, the same arsenic successful 2020 and 2021.

Television presenter Ruth Dodsworth's ex-husband was jailed successful 2021 for 3 years for stalking and coercive and controlling behaviour.

He was besides fixed a restraining bid against contacting Ms Dodsworth.

"Make nary mistake, the information he's been to jailhouse and served his time, doesn't mean I've served my sentence," she said

She said she lived her beingness "in fear" during her matrimony and "the consequences are devastating".

"It's truly important to hammer location the affects stalking tin person connected someone," she added.

Ms Dodsworth has utilized her acquisition to rise consciousness and empower others who whitethorn beryllium successful akin situations.

"By talking astir it, I get messages each azygous time from radical who are going done akin things."

She said the fig of extortion orders issued was "not bully enough" but affirmative enactment astir the transgression was "heading successful the close direction".

North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said it was "absolutely critical" her unit took stalking seriously.

It has worked with radical similar Ms Bragg to pass their grooming and response.

"I'm incredibly grateful to Rhianon moving with the force. It's important we don't lone look astatine world work, but lived acquisition and larn from that," she said.

She said the 2 SPOs issued by the unit past twelvemonth were not enough.

"Work this twelvemonth has accrued the magnitude of orders we've looked astatine this year, and my volition is to afloat enactment victims who would payment from them."

The 4 forces successful Wales said they person dedicated unit and officers to place cases wherever an bid whitethorn beryllium appropriate.

This twelvemonth North Wales Police appointed a stalking co-ordinator and detective sergeant alongside.

Det Sgt Sally White was appointed by North Wales Police successful September.

"It's truthful important to person a dedicated stalking relation due to the fact that archetypal and foremost stalking tin person a truly devastating interaction connected people," she said.

"It's just to accidental we haven't ever got it close antecedently truthful there's plentifulness of enactment to bash to code that."

Det Sgt White said stalking was a analyzable transgression and the signs were not ever obvious.

"We've introduced grooming close crossed the unit and a specializer hazard appraisal to alteration each unit to inquire truly probing questions to place imaginable cases."

She besides stressed the value of multi-agency enactment by introducing stalking panels to their portfolio of work.

"Different agencies person antithetic expertise, truthful we'll bring unneurotic radical like, unfortunate enactment services, probation, wellness - and look astatine each tactical options, to not lone halt the perpetrator behaviour but however to champion tailor enactment to the victim."

The Home Office has been approached for comment.