Stalking victims not protected by police, say campaigners

Victims person said they are not being protected by police, a decennary aft stalking was made a circumstantial offence.

Former TV presenter Isla Traquair, who was stalked by a antheral who stared astatine her portion she was washing, said officers treated her ailment arsenic a neighbourhood dispute.

It comes arsenic information shows lone 6% of reported stalking cases extremity up successful charges being brought.

The Home Office said it took stalking "extremely seriously".

But the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said it recognised much needed to beryllium done to amended outcomes for victims.

Ms Traquair suffers nightmares and panic attacks owed to the behaviour of Jonathan Barrett.

A erstwhile ITV and Channel 5 quality presenter, Ms Traquair was targeted by Barrett for 7 months betwixt March and September 2021.

In that time, helium stared into her chamber model and chain-sawed a bush successful her garden.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, she described 1 incidental erstwhile Barrett appeared extracurricular her location arsenic she prepared to lavation herself.

"I looked up and I got the fright due to the fact that helium was lasting extracurricular my conservatory, I was conscionable astir to instrumentality my apparel off," said Ms Traquair.

"I ducked down, it was 7am successful the morning. That was erstwhile I got the one-way reflector movie enactment in."

Barrett was recovered blameworthy of stalking successful July this twelvemonth and was ordered to implicit 300 hours of assemblage work and wage £715 successful costs.

The Wiltshire gardener, aged 53 astatine the clip of his conviction, was besides handed a restraining bid not to interaction Ms Traquair, oregon to participate oregon look into her spot for 1 year.

Ms Traquair said she felt astatine archetypal that her ordeal was being treated arsenic "some benignant of neighbourhood dispute".

"I had to fight," she said.

"I consciousness truthful unsafe with the satellite due to the fact that I've not been protected by the police. I don't recognise myself anymore.

"I'd accidental astir apt 100 victims of stalking, men and women, person contacted maine since my communicative has gone public.

"There's not a azygous 1 of them that praises the constabulary for the mode they handled it."

Figures analysed by the BBC's Shared Data Unit recovered the complaint of reported stalkers charged by constabulary has astir halved implicit the past 2 years.

Charge rates person fallen from 11% to 6% from 2020-2022, a continuing year-on-year inclination from 2014-15 wherever it was arsenic precocious arsenic 37%.

A 3rd of each cases are dropped due to the fact that of difficulties successful collecting grounds - contempt the unfortunate supporting action.

And much than fractional of reported cases extremity with the victims not supporting further action.

The fig of recorded stalking offences has much than tripled since 2019-20 successful England and Wales. The Home Office said this was owed to changes successful the mode stalking was recorded by constabulary forces.

Of the cases that bash extremity up successful court, the condemnation complaint for stalking offences is 66% crossed England and Wales.

Meanwhile, the usage of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) has besides fallen successful the past year.

They are civilian orders which purpose to support victims, and it is simply a transgression offence to breach the presumption of an order.

Freedom of Information requests from 27 of the 42 constabulary forces successful England and Wales amusement a 31% driblet successful the fig of SPOs applied for - with 310 less applications.

Tracey Morgan was stalked for 9 years, but says she was treated arsenic an "emotional, paranoid female" by police.

Her stalker - a erstwhile co-worker - had 20 convictions related to stalking her. Her ordeal lone stopped erstwhile helium was jailed for beingness successful 2001 for the attempted execution of different woman.

But Ms Morgan said stalking was treated arsenic a "nuisance crime" erstwhile she went to constabulary for help.

"I was connected sleeping pills, reasoning I was going mad. I was terrified. It felt similar helium pushed a self-destruct fastener and was going to instrumentality maine with him.

"I had to beryllium prepared each day, each night, successful lawsuit things continued due to the fact that determination was thing successful the instrumentality to halt what helium was doing.

"But [when I went to the police] I was labelled an affectional paranoid pistillate and told not to beryllium paranoid. It was treated arsenic a spot of a joke."

Ms Morgan went nationalist with her lawsuit successful 1995, and her campaigning enactment helped pb to authorities being changed successful November 2012.

Ten years connected she said she feels laws aren't being utilized arsenic they should.

"I felt precise privileged to beryllium astatine a reception astatine Number 10 and perceive it archetypal hand, it was ground-breaking and indicated immense steps forwards", said Ms Morgan.

"But I cognize victims inactive person trouble with being taken seriously.

"There's inactive a misunderstanding that stalking is conscionable a benign crime, due to the fact that you can't spot the injuries I person - they're each successful my head."

Katy Bourne, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, is the pb for stalking successful Wales and England.

A unfortunate of stalking herself, Ms Bourne said she was near frustrated by the ineligible strategy aft she was stalked for 5 years.

She called for the justness strategy to usage stalking authorities arsenic the default, alternatively than opting for harassment laws.

"It's bully to admit that we bash person stalking legislation, that's a immense measurement forwards," Ms Bourne said.

"But I deliberation determination is inactive a batch much to bash from each agencies, from making definite constabulary recognise it to ensuring the courts and partners prosecute it successfully."

The Home Office said: "We instrumentality our effect to stalking highly seriously, which is wherefore we person doubled the maximum condemnation for stalking from 5 to 10 years.

"In January 2020 we introduced Stalking Protection Orders for constabulary forces, a caller civilian bid to support victims of stalking astatine the earliest imaginable opportunity. 456 orders were issued successful their archetypal year."

National Police Chiefs' Council pb for stalking and harassment, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, said specializer advisors, caller powers and bespoke grooming had been introduced to amended standards successful each constabulary forces successful England and Wales.

"We recognise determination is much to bash to amended the transgression justness strategy outcomes for victims of stalking and are moving intimately with the CPS to recognize the attrition of cases earlier the constituent of complaint and court", added Mr Mills.