Stalking cases hit record levels but just 5pc result in charges

RECORD numbers of stalking cases were reported to the police during lockdown but just one in 20 resulted in a suspect being charged, data show.

The pandemic led to a surge in stalking, especially online, with cases rising as much as 200 per cent in some areas.

Campaigners believe the number of victims could be 1.5million, with most too frightened to report their ordeal. Out of the 149,709 cases flagged to the police in the 18 months to last September, just 8,289 – 5.5 per cent – resulted in a suspect being charged.

Stalking is defined as a pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour that is unwanted. Perpetrators might bombard their target with gifts, hack social media accounts, or hang around someone. If not confronted, their behaviour can escalate into violence, researchers say.

The failure of police to recognise when someone is a victim of stalking is thought to be one of the reasons behind the low charge rate. But even when perpetrators are charged, the trauma of the process combined with delays mean many victims often lose faith and withdraw their complaint.

Of the estimated 1.5 million victims each year, as few as 0.1 per cent see justice. Recent high-profile cases have highlighted the terrifying ordeal that stalking victims suffer.

Last month, Carl Davies, 44, a former soldier, was jailed for two years and eight months after bombarding Louise Minchin, the BBC television presenter, with horrific and threatening social media messages.

Emily Maitlis, the Newsnight presenter, was stalked by a man she met at university more than 25 years ago. Violet Alvarez from the anti-stalking charity, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said many victims found the justice system to be “inadequate and traumatic”.

She said: “Stalking is a serious crime, with one in five women and one in 10 men experiencing it in their lifetimes. The impact is devastating, with 78 per cent of victims reporting symptoms consistent with PTSD, according to a recent study.”

She added: “The response that victims receive from police is often inadequate and at times dangerous as the correct charge is not put in place. This sets a course for an erroneous investigation which fails to manage the risk for the victim. Delays in court proceedings due to the pandemic have further exacerbated re-traumatisation, and victim drop out rates have risen every year since 2015.”

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for stalking and harassment, said: “Stalking and harassment are serious crimes which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and their friends and family.

“The police service is committed to doing everything possible to bring offenders to justice and protect victims.

“We remain committed to bringing about the very best outcomes for all victims.”