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Home Secretary praises FTAC
STALKING SHOULD BE TREATED AS A PRIORITY
Stalking must be treated as a serious issue and should be a priority, Home Secretary Theresa May said today at the first joint national conference to combat stalking.
The Home Secretary outlined that efforts to tackle stalking form a key part of the cross-government vision to end violence against women and girls. The government has already committed to:
• Working with industry and partners to look at how to tackle cyber stalking;
• Supporting the national tackling stalking helpline which provides vital support for victims;
• Ensuring consistent support for victims through a series of regional road shows police force, crown prosecution service and charities to share best practice;
• Learning from the specialist stalking unit – Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) – which assesses threats and risks for high profile individuals; and
• Supporting the work of dedicated officers in each police force with responsibility for stalking and harassment cases.
Home Secretary Theresa May said:
“Stalking is a deeply disturbing crime and many victims suffer in silence and fear for years – this has to stop.
“We must ensure that it is treated as a serious crime and take every step necessary to prevent needless suffering and distress. This is why efforts to tackling stalking form a key part of our vision to end violence against women and girls.
“This is a complex issue that will not be solved overnight but this conference marks the first step of a commitment that will see stalking treated with the importance it deserves and individuals, the police, charities and others working together to tackle this problem.”
Stalking is a complex and devastating crime. In the last year more than 1.2 million women and nearly 900,000 men were affected by stalking. Many victims experience more than 100 incidents before reporting them to the police. Nearly one in five women experience stalking at some point in their lifetime and one in 10 men.
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