Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding, has announced new measures that will give victims of stalking greater protection.

Phillips announced the proposals on 3 December. Unveiling the new ‘right to know’ statutory guidelines, Phillips detailed how victims of stalking will be given the right to know the identity of their stalker, especially if this is an online stalker, at the earliest possible opportunity. Speaking of the new proposals, Phillips said: “As a victim of stalking myself, I know just how terrifying it can be to be subject to such controlling behaviour.”

To create the new proposals, the government worked with actor, broadcaster and activist Nicola Thorp, whose stalker is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence. “For too long, stalking victims have been at the mercy not only of their stalker, but a justice system that failed to protect them,” said Thorp. “These new measures will empower victims to regain some much-needed control of their lives and police to bring abusers to justice.”

The ‘right to know’ is one of the six new measures the government has announced to protect victims of stalking. Other proposals issued include defining stalking in statutory guidance and setting out a framework in law to help police, education and health services work together to bring stalkers to justice and giving these agencies more support in intervening when stalking is taking place. New data on stalking will also be collected and shared by the Home Office, too.

Speaking about the new measures, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Stalking is a horrendous crime. For far too long, victims of stalking have been subject to debilitating and vicious abuse at the hands of stalkers who use any means necessary to monitor and control their victims’ lives.

“Let us be clear: we will use every tool available to us to give more power to victims and take it away from the hands of their abusers. This starts with empowering police to give women the right to know the identity of their online stalkers, strengthening stalking protection orders and ensuring that the police work with all support services to give victims the protection they deserve.

“Today’s measures are an important part of our cross-government mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”

Paladin is the National Stalking Advocacy Service supporting high-risk victims of stalking in England and Wales. The team of specialist Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers (ISACs) support victims through the criminal justice system to ensure their voices are heard and the devasting impact of stalking is understood. ISACs will work with victims for as long as needed, constantly evolving their safety plan and validating and understanding what they are experiencing.

Images: Getty