Thousands of stalking crimes recorded in Derbyshire - but few perpetrators are punished

Home Office data shows police forces across England and Wales recorded nearly 100,000 stalking crimes in 2020-21.

Of those, 2,611 were investigated by Derbyshire Constabulary.

The force has recorded 5,124 such offences since records began in 2014-15, including 1,617 between April and September last year – the latest available figures.

Nationally, 98,544 stalking offences were reported to police in 2020-21 – the first year of new guidance requiring all cases of harassment reported between ex-partners to be recorded as stalking, unless the police were satisfied stalking was not a factor.

In comparison, there were 33,006 stalking crimes the previous year.

In Derbyshire, the tragic death of Gracie Spinks sparked a petition calling for more funding for police forces to provide advocates to support stalking victims – and help officers investigate cases more thoroughly.

Gracie, 23, was murdered in Duckmanton on June 18 last year – four months after she contacted police to make an allegation of stalking about her killer, whose body was also discovered that day.

Forces across England and Wales had already recorded 60,000 offences in the six months to September 2021.

The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for stalking and harassment, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills, said improved police response, increased reporting and more understanding of the extent of stalking behaviour had contributed to the national rise in recorded crimes.

But the Suzy Lamplugh Trust says while recent changes in law and procedures may have influenced the stark rise, stalking remains significantly underreported.

The anti-stalking charity and the NPCC have urged victims to report their "life-changing" experiences and access support.

However, separate figures show that many victims whose cases are investigated are unlikely to see justice done.

In January 2020, the Government introduced Stalking Protection Orders, which place conditions on a stalker's behaviour and allow police to intervene early to protect victims.

Figures which only cover the first year of the new powers show Derbyshire Constabulary applied for fewer than five SPOs. In that time, between one and five were issued.

One application might lead to more than one order being applied, the Home Office cautioned.

Different Home Office figures show that 2,100 – 88% – of stalking cases closed by the force during 2020-21 were dropped due to difficulties gathering evidence, while just 158 (7%) resulted in a charge or summons.

DCC Mills said the NPCC was working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to improve criminal justice outcomes for victims, adding: "Stalking and harassment are serious crimes which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and their friends and family.

"The police service is committed to doing everything possible to bring offenders to justice."

A Home Office spokeswoman added: "The Government takes its response to stalking extremely seriously, and we have tripled our funding to the National Stalking Helpline, introduced SPOs and doubled the maximum sentence for stalking from five to ten years."

The spokeswoman said systems were being improved to enable frontline agencies to work together to prevent potential stalkers from harming people.