Prosecutors announce new guidelines to tackle stalkers, including those who use the internet to target victims.
Stalkers, including those who use the internet to target victims, will face tougher action, it was announced today, as prosecutors admitted they have failed to take the problem seriously in the past.Suspected online and face-to-face stalkers will face court orders banning them from contacting victims, the Crown Prosecution Service pledged, even when they have been acquitted by the courts.
"Stalkers steal lives," said Nazir Afzal, CPS community liaison director. "We as police and prosecutors haven't taken it seriously in the past. Now we do."
The announcement came as prosecutors were given new guidance on how to deal with cases of stalking, including conducting risk assessments of victims and working with other agencies.
Online stalking, including via social networking sites such as Facebook, will also lead to criminal prosecutions as experts believe the number of cases is rising sharply.
In the most recent British Crime Survey, published this year, 18.7% of women and 9.3% of men said they had been stalked at some point in their lives. Experts say that half of all stalkers now use the internet to contact or target their victims.
Prosecutors estimate that around 1 million people in the UK have experienced stalking. Although no figures are collated on the number of cases dealt with through the courts, there are thought to have only been a few hundred prosecutions."People have not been reporting stalking cases," said Afzal. "We believe that if people realise we are talking it seriously, that will encourage them to come forward."
But the measures are likely to provoke controversy, as an increased use of "restraining orders" will target even those who have been acquitted by courts.
"There may be cases where a victim has given evidence about stalking but the court does not convict the suspect. Restraining orders will be a vital tool … for the ongoing need for the protection of the victim," said Arwel Jones, CPS policy unit head for law and procedure.
"In cases of cyber-stalking, restraining orders can prevent the individual from communicating via a social networking site. A breach of a restraining order carries criminal liability."
Critics have long called for reform of a law that still does not recognise stalking as a distinct criminal offence. The existing guidelines instruct prosecutors to use the existing Protection from Harassment Act, which was passed in 1997 before the widespread use of the internet.
Prosecutors have said they will proceed in cases where there is sufficient evidence, even if the victim is against the action being taken. "We hope that charity organisations will provide the necessary support," Jones said.
Victims' groups welcomed the new guidelines. "This new guidance will go a long way to improving the lives of victims and to make sure that perpetrators are treated appropriately by the courts. Recognising in particular new forms of stalking such as cyber-stalking is ground-breaking," said Alexis Bowater, chief executive for the Network for Surviving Stalking.
"We hope the inclusion of cyber-stalking for the first time will encourage everyone involved to take this crime more seriously."
The new guidelines on prosecuting stalking come amidst continuing high-profile celebrity stalking cases, with actress Keira Knightly among those whose stalkers have been arrested by police.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/23/cps-prosecute-online-stalking
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