Stalking victims to get right to know abuser's identity

Minister Jess Phillips says the new measures will "help people go about their lives with confidence"

Stalking victims will get "peace of mind" by being told the identity of their abusers under new government proposals, the minister for safeguarding has said.

Jess Phillips said the proposed "right to know" statutory guidance aims to tell victims the identity of their abuser at the earliest opportunity.

"It's the most important thing," she said.

"Currently victims might not be told who their stalker is - leaving them potentially walking past them on street without them knowing," she told the Today programme.

The change is part of the government's plans give more protection to victims of stalking in England and Wales - with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper pledging the government will use "every tool available" to take power away from abusers.

About one in five women aged 16 and over in England and Wales have been a victim of stalking at least once, official figures show.

The government said it had worked with broadcaster and activist Nicola Thorp, whose stalker is serving a 30-month jail sentence, in developing the new protections.

Ms Thorp had been unable to find out the identity of her stalker until he appeared in court.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Thorp said the "right to know" would have been crucial in relieving the "psychological impact" of her experience.

"Well-meaning police officers felt worried they were going to breach this guy's right to anonymity and GDPR - so he had his identity protected. I felt like a sitting duck - and I started to suspect everybody".

"It would have given me some form of power back in my life to know who this man was - but more importantly, who he wasn't," she added.

Under the new measures, Stalking Protection Orders - which can ban alleged stalkers from contacting or being within a certain distance of their victims - will be made more widely available, the government said.

The changed approach will see courts able to impose these orders after a conviction even when one was not in place before a criminal trial, in a change to the current system - where one needs to have been issued beforehand.

Offenders will also be prevented from contacting their victims from behind bars, the Home Office said.

If an accused person is acquitted, courts will still be able to apply protection orders on them if there is sufficient evidence indicating they still pose a risk to someone.

Coronation Street actress Nicola Thorp was stalked online

Cooper said victims "have been subject to debilitating and vicious abuse at the hands of stalkers" who "use any means necessary" to monitor and control their lives.

"Today's measures are an important part of our cross-government mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade," she added.

Other promised changes include:

• A review of stalking legislation to see if the law could be changed to further support police to spot stalking and arrest offenders

• Defining stalking in statutory guidance and setting out a legal framework to help support services work together and make sure people are not failed by vital information being missed

• New data on stalking offences will be published by the Home Office

• The department will also set out national standards on stalking perpetrator programmes to ensure consistency across England and Wales

The changes in policy come after a major review - carried out by three police watchdogs - found in September that victims of stalking are not being protected enough by police forces in England and Wales, leaving some at "serious risk".

Phillips, who has been a victim of stalking, added the proposals aims to help people "feel safe in their environment".

She said that she was stalked by someone who had made death threats against her and other women, and was still able to contact her while in prison.

"I had somebody who was in prison for harming - well, seeking to harm me - and then was able to write letters to me, contact me from prison," she said.

She said she received a "crestfallen" phone call from the justice secretary at the time apologising to her that this had been allowed to happen.

Under the new reforms, judges will be able to impose Stalking Protection Orders when offenders are convicted to stop this happening.

The independent victims' commissioner for London, Claire Waxman, welcomed the changes - saying the criminal justice system had "struggled to deal robustly with stalking, leaving "offenders undeterred and victims at risk" for too long.

A spokesperson for charity Action Against Stalking said removing anonymity from stalkers means individuals will be held accountable for their "harmful behaviour".

"Victims often feel powerless when their abuser remains anonymous, which can exacerbate feelings of fear and vulnerability," said the charity, which is based in Scotland but works across the whole of the UK.

But they said while the proposed measures represent a step in the right direction, their effectiveness will depend on implementation.

"Adequate resources must be allocated to law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and victim support services. Equally important is public education to reduce stigma and ensure victims feel safe coming forward," they added.

Emma Lingley-Clark, interim CEO at personal safety charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust said the new protections were "urgently needed".

"We hope these changes will begin a transformation of the way all agencies work together to improve the recognition and management of stalking and better support those affected by this devastating crime," she added.