Background information
Stalking and harassment is a very common feature of domestic abuse. It occurs in isolation or as a component of the wider profile of abuse. High severity stalking and harassment can include behaviours such as constant communication, uninvited visits, loitering and threats to kill.
New specific criminal offences of ‘stalking’ and ‘stalking where there is a fear of violence or serious alarm and distress’ came into effect on 25th November 2012.
These supplement the offences of harassment contained in the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 (PHA). In addition to the new offences, the police have been given new powers of entry so that they can fully investigate cases of stalking.