Courts in England and Wales can ban stalkers from contacting victims or visiting their home, place of work or study, under new Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs).
SPOs will usually last for a minimum of two years, with a breach counting as a criminal offence that can result in up to five years in prison, according to the Home Office.
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Home Office Minister for Safeguarding and Vulnerability, Victoria Atkins said: “Every year, thousands of people live with the terrifying experience of being stalked, which can lead to victims feeling isolated, abused or even losing their lives. I am determined that we do everything we can to better protect victims and new Stalking Protection Orders will help the police to intervene and take action against perpetrators at the earliest opportunity.”
For the National Police Chiefs’ Council, NPCC Lead for Stalking and Harassment, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills welcomed the new orders. He said: “Stalking is a serious and prevalent crime, which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and those around them.”
Courts will also be able to impose an interim SPO to provide immediate protection for victims while a decision is being made.
At the personal safety and anti-stalking campaign group and trainers The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Suky Bhaker, Acting Chief Executive, described the orders as ‘an important step forward in the way stalking is handled in England and Wales and an acknowledgement of the suffering victims of stalking can face’. “We welcome the introduction of Stalking Protection Orders and hope to see the new order complement the existing legislation to ensure that victims receive a proactive response when they come forward and report stalking.”
For the Association of the Police and Crime Commissioners, Katy Bourne, Sussex PCC< said that she hoped the orders will become a substantial deterrent and a way to enforce the law without adding unnecessary strain upon the victim. The Home Office helps fund the National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
ST talk
Arad Parsi of the London-based Trust is among the invited speakers at the first Security TWENTY conference-exhibition of 2020, ST20 Birmingham, at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC, on Thursday, February 20. It’s free to attend but organisers ask that you register in advance to help gauge numbers for catering.
Richard Jenkins of the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) is due to talk about the ECHO Initiative for alarm monitoring digitally; and Simon Newman of PCPI.
Visit https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/security-events-and-conferences/security-twenty-home/birmingham/.
