Criminal justice system “failing victims of stalking” says Welsh Lib Dems

THIS week in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the criminal justice system for failing victims of stalking.

In the past year alone, there were over 1.6 million victims of stalking in England and Wales.

Among the general population around 20.6% of women and 8.7% of men aged 16 and over reported having experienced some form of this crime.

Despite the high number of cases, criminal convictions remain low. With the Suzy Lamplugh Trust reporting last year that only 6.6% of stalking reports to police result in charges, and only 1.4% end in conviction.

The Welsh Lib Dems have criticised the justice system for these failings, citing a lack of understanding within courts and police forces about what constitutes stalking, and the grave risks it poses to victims.

Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

“Stalking is a pervasive and damaging crime that can rob victims of their self-confidence, it can make them feel as though they are never truly safe.

Despite the magnitude of this problem, those effected by this horrendous crime are being failed by a criminal justice system devoid of both sympathy and understanding.

Victims are being denied justice and this cannot stand.

If we truly wish to ensure a justice system that works for all, then we must have better training for both our police, prosecutors, and judges as well as efficient multi-agency coordination.

By working together, we can deliver justice to those who for far too long have been ignored.”