Harassment and Stalking
It is a criminal offence in England and Wales for someone to harass you or put you in fear of violence.
Stalking can be defined as persistent and unwanted attention that makes you feel pestered and harassed. It includes behaviour that happens two or more times, directed at or towards you by another person, which causes you to feel alarmed or distressed or to fear that violence might be used against you.
Behaviour by a suspect as part of a campaign of stalking and harassment could include:
- frequent unwanted contact, for example, attending at the home or the workplace of the victim, telephone calls, text messages, emails or use of other mechanisms such as the internet and social networking sites;
- driving past the victim’s home or work;
- following or watching the victim;
- sending letters or unwanted ‘gifts’ or items to the victim;
- arranging for others to deliver unwanted items to the victim;
- damaging the victim’s property;
- boasting that they are aware of the location or address of other family members or children;
- burglary or robbery of the victim’s home, workplace, vehicle or other;
- becoming further and further embedded within a victim’s life, for example, by making contact with their friends and family;
- threats of physical harm to the victim (including sexual violence and threats to kill);
- physical and/or sexual assault of the victim and even murder.
Sometimes the problem can build up slowly and it can take a while for you to realise you are caught up in an ongoing campaign of abuse.
(Victim Support and CPS)
