Record number of prosecutions against stalking in Bedfordshire

It comes as the Independent Office for Police Conduct called on police forces to take urgent action to improve the way they handle reports of stalking and deal with victims.

The IOPC report was in response to a so-called super-complaint by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium. It found the police response in many cases was "not good enough and victims were being let down".

Saskia Garner, head of policy and campaigns at the charity, said the real number of victims is much higher than those that are reported to the police and end in a trial.

But the most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice show 31 stalking crimes – including breaches of stalking orders and racially or religiously motivated stalking – were prosecuted against in Bedfordshire.

It was a significant increase from 19 prosecutions the year before, and the highest since records began in 2010.

Of the prosecutions in Bedfordshire, 19 resulted in a sentence, including seven custodial sentences. The average custodial sentence length was 13 months.

Bedfordshire Police has already implemented dedicated officers who work to support victims of stalking and crack down on stalkers. And since the start of the year, officers from across the force have secured more than 150 charges against individuals and made 215 stalking related arrests.

Separately, Bedfordshire Police recorded 5,000 stalking and harassment crimes in the year to March – down from 5,200 the year before.

Detective Inspector Paula Bozward, the force’s lead on stalking and harassment, said: “Stalking can be incredibly traumatic for victims and linked to some of the highest harm crimes, including domestic abuse, sexual offences and even murder. It is vital we raise awareness of the early signs to look out for and reporting tools available to help protect victims.

“We have a clear focus in policing to pursue offenders and bring them to justice, as well as significantly support victims.

“We understand people often wait to report stalking until the issue gets worse, but we would encourage anyone to report any incidents as soon as they happen. If someone is contacting you more than once, or they are continuing to contact you after blocking them, this is stalking."

Umme Ali, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire said: “I welcome the conversations on stalking and national spotlight on this awful crime.

“Stalking is serious and can have long-lasting effects on victims. Stalking must be taken seriously by the police, and I am assured after reading the full report that there are examples of this.

“However, there are concerns where in some cases victims have been let down. Part of my role as Deputy PCC is to support the PCC to work with Bedfordshire Police and our partners reduce such crimes and ensure victims of stalking are heard. This features in the forthcoming police and crime plan.

“In the Police and Crime Commissioners' office, we fund services that help to tackle stalking. We have promoted the work of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust campaign against stalking as well as previously funding the Hollieguard safeguarding app and we continue to promote this.

“I will continue to champion victims of all crimes and ensure they are put at the heart of policing and the wider criminal justice system”.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "Stalking consumes a victim's world; they are forced to change their daily routines and often are left in fear of their life."

They added the CPS does not "underestimate the devastating impact this has on victims".

"We are continuing to work closely with police to build a picture of a suspect’s manipulative behaviour and actions to present a robust case in court while utilising protective orders to safeguard victims from repeat offending."

Responding to the IOPC report, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: "Behind the findings in this report are heart-breaking testimonies from victims. Stalking is an insidious crime that can leave survivors traumatised."

She added the Government is "actively considering" the recommendations in the report, looking at how it can work with the police to overhaul the response to this crime and "put more perpetrators behind bars".