Gloucestershire Police issues first Stalking Protection Order
The 20-year-old from Gloucester was given the order following an investigation
Gloucestershire Police have given a man their first Stalking Prevention Order.
The 20-year-old from Gloucester has been served the order under section 9 of the Stalking Prevention Act 2019.
Officers obtained it at Cheltenham Magistrate's Court earlier this month following an investigation into a a complaint that he was stalking his ex-partner and her family.
The order which has been granted for 5 years and expires on 30 November 2025 means that the man cannot:
- Contact or attempt to contact the victim either directly or indirectly (this includes the sending of any objects)
- Carry out surveillance by any means, including any recording on any device, in relation to the victim (this includes watching, following or waiting for the persons named within these prohibitions)
- Make reference to the victim, directly or indirectly, in any message or on any social media platform
- Enter a specified exclusion zone
The conditions were tailored to protect the victim now as well as in the long term and have effect in all parts of the UK.
If the man breaches the SPO he could face up to five years in prison.
Detective Superintendent Steve Bean said:
"The crime of Stalking can cause utter misery, fear and lasting emotional and psychological damage to victims and their families. Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) are a relatively new, but highly significant tool in the management of perpetrators of this deplorable offence.
"I am extremely pleased that an SPO has been obtained in this case, and hope that the victim can now live her life safe in the knowledge that if the offender breaches any of the conditions, there will be serious consequences, including potential imprisonment.
"Gloucestershire has an extremely strong, networked multi-agency response to the linked issues of stalking, harassment, domestic abuse and sexual violence, and victims can be reassured that these types of criminal behaviours will not be tolerated under any circumstances."
The Stalking Protection Act 2019 came into effect on 20 January 2020.
A Stalking Protection Order is an order helps police forces better protect victims of stalking through preventative measures.
Gloucestershire has a stalking clinic which to help cases of stalking by working alongside other agencies.
If you're worried about yourself or someone else being stalked there are a number of services available to help including the Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS), the National Stalking Helpline and Victim Support.
Details on how to contact the support services are below:
GDASS: https://www.gdass.org.uk/
Victim Support: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help/support-near-you/south-west/gloucestershire
National Stalking Helpline: 0808 802 0300 https://www.suzylamplugh.org/pages/category/national-stalking-helpline
Local information for professionals on identifying and responding to stalking: http://www.glostakeastand.com/professionals/
You can report concerns about stalking to Gloucestershire Police by completing the following online form: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/, calling 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.