Study shows stalking has increased over lockdown

POLICE have arrested three men and cautioned one woman for stalking, as officers in Camden vow to take such offences “extremely seriously”.

One man from Camden was arrested and has since been bailed, while a Stalking Protection Order (SPO) was also obtained to protect another victim in the borough.

Meanwhile, two Islington men were arrested, one of them being charged on Monday.

The arrests have happened during National Stalking Awareness Week which has seen police forces across the country try and raise the profile of the crime so victims might better know how to get help.

Detective Sergeant Matt Burmby from the local Public Protection Team promised that tackling stalking is a priority, and said: “All year round, stalking is taken extremely seriously in Central North BCU and that is why we have secured the most Stalking Protection Orders in London – 25 as of Monday.

“I want our residents to feel safe in the two boroughs and know what their local officers are doing to protect them and apprehend stalking offenders.”

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust released a report this week revealing how stalkers have become more obsessive during lockdown with some perpetrators using their daily exercise to watch their victims.

Half of the individuals questioned said they had faced increased stalking online.

The Unmasking Stalking study shows some victims believed the monotony of lockdown had led their stalkers to target them with more intensity and frequency while being able to hide their identity behind a mask.

In London, reports of stalking have increased by more than 300 per cent during the pandemic – although a change in the way such crimes are recorded is part of the reason.

SPOs brought in at the start of last year, are civil orders that can be sought by the police to provide immediate protection to victims of stalking.

The orders run for a minimum of two years and it is a criminal offence to breach the terms of an order, which can include banning an offender from contacting a person through social media, a third party or being within a certain distance of their home or workplace.

They can also require a perpetrator to undergo therapy to deal with their obsessive behaviour traits, including mental health programmes, drug and alcohol support or counselling.

Some police forces have been accused of not using this new protective power enough.

And for 60 per cent of victims who reported stalking, there is no legal protection at all.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust also said, “where the orders are being breached they are not being properly prosecuted”.

DS Burmby said: “Whilst Stalking offences can be violent, they often leave the victim with long-term psychological and emotional distress and fearful to leave their homes on some occasions.

“Stalking can often be a ‘hidden’ crime, so it’s really important that during these weeks of awareness that we (the police) do just that – make the public aware of stalking and how you can get help.

“Anyone who thinks they are being followed, harassed or stalked should report it to the police as soon as possible. If you don’t want to talk to the police then you can seek help via the Suzy Lamplugh Trust who also have a significant amount of advice on their website.”

“As part of the safeguarding and protection for victims, all neighbourhood policing teams where a victim resides have been briefed with an image of outstanding suspects so that they are aware and can respond appropriately.”

In the UK, around one in five women, as compared with one in ten men will experience stalking in their lifetimes.

The death of Sarah Everard, a woman who was found dead after going missing on her way home, earlier this year led to intense calls for better laws to protect women and prosecute gender-based offences.

Holborn and St Pancras MP, the Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has said that Labour intends to introduce a violence against women and girls bill before the Queen’s Speech in May.

The law would make it an offence to harass women on the street, increase sentences for rapists and stalkers, end lower sentences for domestic rather than non-domestic murders, and introduce “whole life” tariffs for anyone found guilty of the abduction, sexual assault and murder of a stranger.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust runs the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300 or you can fill in an online form on their website www.suzylamplugh.org/forms/national-stalking-helpline-enquiry-form. If you believe you are in immediate danger call the police emergency line on 999.