Deeply disturbing statistics show that around one in five women have experienced stalking – which is why news that the government is making a raft of changes relating to the way police handle this crime is extremely welcome (if not overdue). In recent years, there have been a notable number of high profile stalking cases, for example those of Gracie Spinks and Yasmin Chkaifi, which have heartbreakingly been the precursor to homicide.
Victims/survivors of stalking often describe the toll it takes on their mental health and there have been reports of multiple women feeling as though the police didn’t take their cases seriously enough, with national stalking charity, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, launching a super-complaint against the police in England and Wales in 2022.
Others have expressed concerns that the justice system appears to afford more protections to the stalker rather than those on the other end of the crime.
Now, thanks to a new campaign pushed forwards by the likes of MP Jess Phillips and TV presenter Nicola Thorp, who found herself wrapped up in a terrifying stalking ordeal, the Home Secretary is set to issue statutory guidance that will empower police forces to release the identity of an online stalker (amongst other changes).
In Thorp’s case, police refused to tell her the name of the person behind the harassing and threatening messages she regularly received for over two years, leading to mental health repercussions.
Speaking in an interview shared exclusively with Cosmopolitan UK, Thorp said knowing her stalker’s identity would have made a staggering difference to her case, explaining that she’d begun to query everyone around her.
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Contact with her stalker first began when she received a dick pic on Twitter, which Thorp says then snowballed into rape threats (sent via multiple accounts). “It actually took two years before I decided to report it to the police, because I think as women we just sort of go ‘Oh, maybe this is normal’,” she said during a filmed discussion with Phillips. “To be fair, the police were great but they were stuck because the only way to really identify this person was to find his IP address. A year later, they did. They told me that they’d found him, they’d arrested him and I said ‘Great, who is it?’ and they refused to tell me.”
Thorp says she had no idea if her stalker was somebody she knew, somebody she’d worked with or an ex-partner. “They said no due to, I think, data protection and the first time I saw him was when I was stood behind him in the queue to the courtroom [...] If I’d have had that information I still would’ve gone through the courts and made sure that he was brought to justice, but it would’ve given me that power to know not only who he was, but who he wasn’t.”
This change in guidance, the Home Office says, will set out the process more clearly to police so they know how to reveal the identity of an online stalker at the earliest opportunity.
Commenting on the issue, Phillips said, “We have announced that we’re going to ensure that victims have the right to know the identity of their stalker. The government is going to issue statutory guidance to all police forces to give them the confidence and power to tell you.”
Courts will also be given more powers to impose post-conviction restrictions on any perpetrators found guilty of stalking.
Other changes around stalking laws include a new framework set to help join up the various organisations that might be involved in a case, from the police to health services and educational facilities. More data around stalking offences will also be published by the Home Office, meaning evidence can help to inform future policies and decision-making around this particular crime.
A review into the current laws around stalking is also due to take place, to see if there’s a more efficient way that police could be identifying stalkers and arresting offenders.
The Home Office has also promised to share guidance on stalking perpetrator programmes, helping to ensure interventions properly address a perpetrator’s behaviour leading to more positive outcomes.
It’s hoped the changes will come into effect as soon as possible, but no firm date(s) has been given.
For support and advice on how to deal with stalking, contact the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
