Stalkers register

[flyingfoxkins]

A columnist in this mornings Guardian has written on the need for a "stalkers register" based on the information that many stalkers are repeat offenders and too often end up killing their "final" victims. She suggests that police would track stalkers and pro-actively inform those who start relationships with them. Sounds like a good idea.

Yes it does sound like a good idea. It's a start anyway.

Yes... and if people don't like the idea of being tracked by the authorities then bloody well don't track other people in the first place.

Exactly repeat offenders I agree.

Yes, I agree. Stalking is in itself an aggressive act with huge impact on the victim, it's a pattern of behaviour. It is rarely a one off and does escalate.

That sounds like a great idea.

Yes, good plan. Far more needs to be done to tackle these crimes. I can't stand the amount of times we hear 'we can't do anything' from police (almost always after something terrible has happened).

Stalking can blight and ruin a life.

This woman was actually fined for wasting police time. Before he went on to kill her. Awful.

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-48232132

This sounds like a good idea - perhaps they should extend it to include domestic violence offenders, rapists and other offenders against women?

@Toseland

This sounds like a good idea - perhaps they should extend it to include domestic violence offenders, rapists and other offenders against women?

Clare’s Law does this for DV:

www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/alpha2/request-information-under-clares-law/

Great idea. It reminds me of the parenting technique of choosing a consequence that fits the misbehaviour. Eg you won't brush your teeth? No food containing sugar from now onwards.

It's interesting that they can track "non-crime hate incidents" (aka discussions on social media), but they don't track actual real life criminal incidents unless the perpetrator is convicted.

Surely this is exactly the type of thing that all the "hate" legislation was intended for? If they can keep records of people posting on twitter, surely they can keep records of individuals with a number of reports against them, or with unusual or aggressive behaviour over a period of time.

@TurquoiseBaubles

It's interesting that they can track "non-crime hate incidents" (aka discussions on social media), but they don't track actual real life criminal incidents unless the perpetrator is convicted.

Surely this is exactly the type of thing that all the "hate" legislation was intended for? If they can keep records of people posting on twitter, surely they can keep records of individuals with a number of reports against them, or with unusual or aggressive behaviour over a period of time.

You'd have thought... But most of stalkers probably aren't motivated by any of the subset of protected characteristics that have been covered by the hate crime/incident rules till now. Perhaps including sex would help. (You don't say.....)

I wonder if someone who was a victim of stalking announced to the police that they were non-binary or trans, would the "non-crime" be taken more seriously.

It seems a distinct possibility.