"It's fundamentally changed who I am": Stalking victim says crime isn't taken seriously enough
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is calling on the government to do more to tackle stalking
A woman who's been stalked for over a decade says the crime "isn't taken seriously enough".
'Sarah', whose name has been changed to protect her identity, believes urgent action needs to be taken to protect the millions of people who are stalked every year.
Her stalker was eventually brought to justice after eight years but says it's left " a very deep and emotionally enduring scar" on her.
Echoing these calls in the The Suzy Lamplugh Trust who is calling on the Government to do more to tackle the crime.
There are around 1.5 million stalking cases every year across England and Wales and according to the most recent figures less that 1% of those result in a conviction.
The Trust is urging the Government to form a taskforce to identify why conviction rates are so low and to increase training and awareness of stalking amongst criminal justice officials.
'Sarah' said: "The police weren’t taking my case seriously, despite the volume of evidence, and it was clear that police and prosecutors had little understanding of the crime and failed me.
"They repeatedly focused on single incidents rather than the pattern of behaviour which defines stalking. The stalker was eventually charged 8 years later, when the police realised they couldn’t ignore my case any longer.
"It’s not just the act that you’re subjected to – it’s the unknown. Where is this leading to? Will this escalate? It’s the fear of your own safety and not understanding what’s going to happen next? When I walk out the door what’s going to happen today and am I going to be safe?
"Until more in depth specialist training is rolled out across all police forces and courts, convictions, and assurance for victims' safety, will continue to be near impossible to achieve.
Who is Suzy Lamplugh?
Suzy Lamplugh, who was from Cheltenham, was working as an estate agent in West London when she disappeared 35 years ago.
Her parents believed she was being stalked at the time and she has never been found.
They set up the Suzy Lamplugh Trust which strives to enable individuals and organisations to be and feel safer through campaigning, education and its specialist support services.
During its35-year history it has been instrumental in bringing about the Protection from Harassment Act, introducing specific offences for stalking and driving improvements in licensing safety checks for taxi and minicab drivers among other things.
Suky Bhaker, CEO of Suzy Lamplugh Trust, says: “The journey of the Trust over its 35-year history has been astounding in its achievements despite being born from the most tragic of circumstances and we work tirelessly to ensure that Suzy’s legacy lives on.
"However, while we have achieved great things and seen improvements in the support available to victims of stalking and other forms of violence and aggression, there is so much more to do to reduce incidents of stalking and harassment and ensure the safety of victims.
"The shockingly low conviction rates for stalking leave thousands of victims without the protections they so urgently need to reduce the risks to their physical and mental health.