'Stalking could be slow-motion murder' campaigner says

"It has the potential to be murder in slow motion."

Tracey Morgan was stalked by a colleague in Hampshire for nearly a decade and has campaigned for laws to provide better protection for victims.

A BBC Freedom of Information request found 1,388 Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) were issued by the police forces that responded, with almost 440,000 overall cases recorded between 2020 and 2023.

Ms Morgan called the statistics "so disappointing" and said a multi-agency approach was needed.

Ms Morgan, who now lives in Crowthorne, Berkshire, said her experience of being stalked was "relentless", including being followed, watched, and the stalker accessing her home and taking items, as well as pouring oil over her car on two occasions.

"He made plans to kill me and my husband at the time," she said.

"We eventually got the test case for psychological grievous bodily harm in 1996 and he has over 20 convictions relating to his stalking of me."

She said reporting that to the police had been "difficult" as she had "no bruises or broken bones".

"When a victim goes for help, what have they got to show, necessarily?," she said.

Her stalker was only jailed for life in 2001 for the attempted murder of another woman.

Ms Morgan said hearing the figures of convictions was "so disappointing".

"[The victims] are actually terrified, it takes a lot of courage to go to the police.

"Why are the criminal justice system not getting it?"

Last year, a review by London's victims' commissioner Claire Waxman found that two-thirds of stalking offences in London are committed by repeat offenders.

Ms Waxman said 45% of stalking victims withdrew from the justice process and a further 41% saw no further police action on their complaints, according to her findings.

Ms Morgan is now a member of the National Stalking Consortium.

She said she had spearheaded the campaign which brought in the Harassment Act in 1997, which deals with stalking both on and offline.

She said she had also given evidence to the parliamentary inquiry, which brought in the stalking laws and had thought the restraining orders would help.

"However, they were there, as I was told, to restrain, not instruct, when we discovered my stalker had changed his name by deed poll to my ex boyfriend's.

"The SPO are there to ... protect victims before damage is done, however, they're a piece of paper, not bulletproof vests.

"It's really, really vital that the agencies react quickly ... and prevent further damage."

SPOs, introduced in January 2020, are civil orders that must be applied for by the police through the magistrates' courts on behalf of victims.

They prohibit activities such as entering certain locations or making contact.

In the Thames Valley around 7% of stalking cases resulted in convictions, which is similar to other forces around the UK.

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said all reports of stalking or harassment "are taken seriously".

"I have funded the Thames Valley Stalking Service since 2023 and during that time it has supported over 500 victims," he said.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said there were "many problems" across the country in how stalking issues were dealt with.

"It needs a lot of work of which the government has committed to but it is simply not good enough.

"You can't look at figures like that and think anything else."

Ms Morgan said the statistics "speak for themselves".

"[Victims] have possibly gone through a hundred incidents before going to the police, so the need to react and take seriously," she said.

"It has the potential to be murder in slow motion and we want to prevent that.

"Also, if [a SPO or a restraining order] isn't acted upon ... what message does that send to the perpetrator?

She said TVP "need to look at the other agencies" such as the Cheshire Harm Reduction Unit.

"I know for a fact that Thames Valley and Hampshire probation service are keen to work together with the other agencies, to sit down with the case and discuss each case.

"There is so much knowledge in the area."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, information and support is available via the BBC Action Line.

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