Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd
MP has used National Stalking Awareness Day (18th April) to
highlight the importance of acting on commitments made in light of the new
stalking law in order to ensure its effective enforcement. The theme for the
day this year is ‘Know the Law, Use the Law’. Mr Llwyd, chaired the Independent
Parliamentary Inquiry into Stalking Law Reform which resulted in a new law on
stalking being introduced in November 2012, he stressed the need for scrutiny
to make sure that the inquiry's recommendation that training be made mandatory
for all criminal justice professionals on how to recognise and treat
stalking cases is properly implemented. National Stalking Awareness Day is not only a time to remember those
whose lives have been ruined or taken away from them because of this terrible
crime, but also to raise awareness of practical steps which can be taken to
secure justice for the victims.
Plaid
Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd MP said:
"This is the first
National Stalking Awareness Day since the new stalking law became operational
last November, and it presents an excellent opportunity to remind people of
what the new legislation means.
"The Independent
Parliamentary Inquiry put support for the victims of stalking at the heart of
future legislation. We wanted to give victims a voice in the justice
system.
"This
entailed mapping out detailed recommendations such as training for criminal
justice professionals on how to recognise and treat stalking behaviour - we
cannot allow any more victims to be secondarily victimised by shoddy treatment
from the justice system.
"We must also introduce treatment programmes for perpetrators, much as is common for sex offenders, in order to tackle the psychological problems which underpin their behaviour. Stalking, like rape, is characteristic of obsessive behaviour, and will not go away untreated.
"We must also introduce treatment programmes for perpetrators, much as is common for sex offenders, in order to tackle the psychological problems which underpin their behaviour. Stalking, like rape, is characteristic of obsessive behaviour, and will not go away untreated.
“I
have written to the Home Secretary requesting an update on the implementation
of the new law, including the training of professionals and improving victims’
advocacy, and I look forward to reading her response.
"If we want to see
this improvement in victims' advocacy and more perpetrators being held to
account, police forces across England and Wales must introduce training - this
can mean murder prevention; it is not an optional extra."
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