Nottinghamshire Stalking Advocacy Service helps victim see light at the end of the tunnel
LE, whose real name is being kept private to protect her identity, was the victim of a cruel crusade by her stalker who went from being a friend to somebody who tried to follow her every move.
With incidents ranging from putting a tracker on her car to booking on the same flights to go on holiday, LE was left feeling like she had nowhere to turn.
That was until the Nottinghamshire Stalking Advocacy Service stepped in, who are non-domestic stalking experts commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
The service is delivered by lead providers Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid, alongside fellow experts Juno Women’s Aid and Equation.
It ensures anyone experiencing stalking is helped to assess the risk and create a bespoke safety plan, as well as receiving support in reporting the issue to the Police.
LE said: “Without my advocate I don’t think I would be here today.
“I honestly thought my stalker was going to kill me, but having my advocate there to guide me and predict his movements enabled me to stay ahead and protect myself.
“It’s allowed me to start living again. Although my life will never be the same I’m growing in confidence and that is all down to the support I’ve received.”
LE’s stalker was eventually found guilty of breaching a stalking protection order on multiple occasions, and received a total sentence of 21 months immediate custody with a 10 year restraining order also imposed.
The Stalking Advocacy team work to understand and identify stalker typologies and motivations for stalking, identify stalking behaviours, measure frequency and use a range of assessments and tools to identify risk to victims.
There is also a small ringfenced budget available to support the purchase of safety items such as personal safety alarms, camera doorbells, passive infrared lights, window alarms, window and door locks, as well as wifi or solar powered CCTV passive infrared cameras.
Nottinghamshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner and lead for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, Angela Kandola, said: “We know how damaging being a victim of stalking can be, and the way in which you feel like your world is being controlled by one person.
“LE has shown incredible bravery to open up and tell her story, while showing others that help is available.
"The Stalking Advocacy team are doing great work to keep people in Nottinghamshire safe from stalking, and provide ways of supporting them through the most difficult of times.”
Stalking is a crime in England and Wales under the Protection from Harassment Act 2007. It is described as a pattern of unwanted and persistent behaviour that is motivated by fixation or obsession that causes a victim to suffer alarm, distress or fear of violence.
It is illegal for a person to pursue a course of conduct that they know or ought to know amounts to stalking. A course of conduct refers to two or more incidents of unwanted behaviour.
Harassment can include some of the same behaviour as stalking and causes a victim fear and distress. Stalking is differentiated from harassment by the motivation of the stalker.
Nottinghamshire Police recorded 1,531 occurrences of stalking between October 2023 – September 2024, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. Of these occurrences, 16% resulted in a positive criminal justice outcome, which continues the trend of increased associated positive outcomes.
Nita Miller, Community Services Co-ordinator at Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid, said: “Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid, along with Equation and Juno, continue to provide a trauma-informed service to victims of stalking across Nottingham/shire.
“Our unique trained teams will ensure victims of stalking have a bespoke safety plan in place tailored to the victims needs and matched to the stalker typology and continue to raise awareness of the dangers and risks of stalking.
“It is crucial that victims of stalking are supported and that a coordinated community response is developed locally to keep victims and their children safe.”