Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron

David Cameron is meeting stalking victims at Downing Street to mark International Women's Day
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Stalking is to be made a specific criminal offence in England and Wales, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

He will meet stalking victims later at Number 10 in a reception to mark International Women's Day on Thursday.

Mr Cameron described stalking as "an abhorrent crime" which "makes life a living hell for the victims".

A parliamentary inquiry has called for a new offence to be introduced at once, saying harassment and intimidation can often turn into murder.

Mr Cameron said stalking had the effect of "breaking up relationships, forcing the victims to move house, making them feel they are being watched 24 hours of the day".

"That is why we are explicitly criminalising stalking, to make sure that justice is done, protect the victims and show beyond doubt that stalking is a crime."

Stalking cases
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper is calling for the government to support a Labour amendment to the Protection of Freedoms Bill, which would create a new offence, in the House of Lords on Monday.

"We need rapid progress and we need a new law which is strong enough; half-hearted measures won't be enough," she said.

"Victims have already waited too long, and the prime minister should support our tough and clear new offence."

The calls for reform came after the case of Clifford Mills, 49, who stalked his ex-girlfriend Lorna Smith on Facebook before stabbing her to death at his flat in Brixton, south London, in February last year.

He was jailed last month for life, with a minimum term of 21 years after being found guilty of murder.

The parliamentary inquiry heard that some 120,000 victims, mostly women, are stalked each year but only 53,000 are recorded as crimes by police and only one in 50 of these lead to an offender being jailed.

Meanwhile, the government also announced that men in Britain accused of raping or assaulting women abroad could be put on trial in the UK courts.

Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg stated their intention to sign up to the Council of Europe's Convention on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

'Utter scandal'
Once this treaty is ratified into UK law, offenders who cannot be brought to trial in the country where the alleged crime was committed will be able to be prosecuted in the UK.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg said the "unprecedented" agreement would help tackle the "utter scandal" of women suffering violence and domestic abuse.

"The agreement is not just a piece of paper. It's going to lift the standards of protection for women across Europe, give greater support for victims and, crucially, bring many more perpetrators to justice," they said in a joint statement.

"By signing the convention we would ensure that British offenders who commit their crimes abroad would still face justice in our courts. This is what we do in cases of murder and paedophilia.

"We believe rapists and abusive men from the UK who seriously harm women should face the same fate wherever they commit the offence. Our message must be loud and clear - there must be nowhere to hide."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17294314

Another "Feminist" law only God knows how many men women would send to jail due to this . I mean how can one prove that he or she is being stalked? Going around with a camera watching out for your stalker facing you I dey laugh

Same goes for cyber stalking too!
Too bad I can deal with cowardly gangs single-handedly myself.
On or offline.
First to quench.
No shaking!

Callotti: Same goes for cyber stalking too!
Too bad I can deal with cowardly gangs single-handedly myself.
On or offline.
First to quench.
No shaking!

Rofl..you alone?

mkmyers45: Rofl..you alone?

Oh yes o!
Them my God will do the rest.

Callotti:

Oh yes o!
Them my God will do the rest.

Rofl..

Callotti: Same goes for cyber stalking too!
Too bad I can deal with cowardly gangs single-handedly myself.
On or offline.
First to quench.
No shaking!

it is a crime in America too.

Thank God.
I have to do some research on it....