New stalking protection orders (SPOs) will come into effect in Northern Ireland to allow police to protect victims of stalking from the start of an investigation.
The orders will facilitate interventions early in investigations, prior to any stalking convictions, in an effort to disrupt stalking behaviours before they become entrenched or escalate.
The early interventions, that can include prohibiting in person or remote contact with a named person on the order, will be used by police to protect stalking victims when there is an immediate risk of harm.
Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher of the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch said the new resource would help protect victims.
“We are already seeing positive policing in this area with alleged offenders being arrested weekly,” she said.
“We continue to raise awareness and encourage victims to come forward with the knowledge that we now have 5,000 officers and staff trained to recognise and respond and that they take all reports seriously.
“The (putting into effect) of SPOs now allows our officers to take swift and decisive action, putting restrictions in place and enforcing breaches, treating them as criminal offences.
“Our readiness to take action in this way we hope will have a hugely positive effect on the confidence people have in coming forward, knowing that in Northern Ireland we take stalking incredibly seriously.”
Police will be able to apply to the court for a stalking protection order if it appears a person has carried out acts associated with stalking or poses a risk associated with stalking and there is reasonable cause to believe measures are necessary to protect the victim.
Under the order subjects will be prohibited from contacting, by any means, directly or indirectly, the victim.
This includes but is not limited to contact in person, calls, letters, emails, messages and social media.
They can also be prohibited from publishing any material, or making reference to any material already published, which references, refers or relates to the victim either directly or indirectly.
Furthermore a person deemed to be a threat can be prohibited from entering into an agreed exclusion zone, be that an area within the town or further afield.
Detective Superintendent Fisher said the stalking was not confined to physically following a person.
“I think many people when they hear the word ‘stalking’ will think of someone lurking in the shadows,” she said.
“Stalking can actually take many forms and can be online as well as in person. It is a pattern of behaviours that is fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated.
“We now have another tool in our armour to protect victims from this debilitating and dangerous crime.”
An anonymous victim of stalking from Northern Ireland said their stalker used social media to make them feel unsafe even when they were not present.
“My stalker took away my feeling of freedom. Living with looking over my shoulder, at times fearing for my life,” they said.
“On one occasion I had 155 WhatsApp messages in a few hours and was also receiving messages on two other platforms (phone messages and Facebook messenger) at the same time. With calls between.
“One night, although he was 15 miles away, music started playing through the Bose sound system in my house.
“He did this through the Spotify app and then selected which device he wanted to play it on. I woke in the middle of the night to music playing, significant songs from our wedding etc.
“It was terrifying as I thought he was in the house and I’d no idea how it was happening.”
Richard Pengelly, permanent secretary at the Department of Justice, welcomed the orders’ introduction.
“Stalking can have a devastating impact on victims and this new measure will offer protection for victims of stalking from the very start of an investigation,” he said.
“Importantly, the onus is taken away from the victim to apply for these orders as the police will apply directly to the courts.
“I am grateful to justice partners in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Public Prosecution Service and Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service for their work in bringing stalking protection orders into operation.”
An order will last for a minimum of two years and any breach will be a criminal offence that will carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Stalking protection orders are being introduced through the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
The Act introduced the offences of stalking and threatening or abusive behaviour in April 2022.
