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00:01I put out a post to my followers asking if anyone was experiencing being stalked.
00:06Some of the women have agreed to let me into their lives and share how it's been affecting them.
00:12I am the guy you're looking for.
00:14I feel so bad.
00:15How did you feel when you started getting these intense messages through?
00:19Violated.
00:21Live you're a fat slut. Live you're a whore.
00:24These are ongoing, active cases.
00:27Everyone enables the behavior.
00:29It says it's not a big deal and it is.
00:32So I can't reveal names or locations that could put these women at risk.
00:36You came to my house banging on the door.
00:39Describe to me though that feeling of constantly being watched.
00:43I'm on high there. My whole body is shaking.
00:46I want to find out whether enough is being done to support victims.
00:50Describe the impact this has had on your lifestyle.
00:53I'm literally terrified to leave the house.
00:55And understand the long-term impact of stalking.
00:58I can't exist while someone wants to hunt me down.
01:02I can't believe I was with someone for such a long time and that he's doing this to me.
01:15I'm living in fear every day and I'm on high alert 24-7.
01:20At night I'm terrified.
01:22Checking my cameras all the time because he's outside watching me.
01:27I've had a message from a woman called Laura.
01:31Her ex-partner has been convicted twice for stalking her.
01:35He's currently serving a suspended sentence after following her to and from work,
01:40breaking into her car and bombarding her with hundreds of unwanted messages.
01:45So I'm on my way to Laura's house.
01:50I want to keep her company for the evening.
01:52I'm really interested in getting an understanding as to what she's been going through recently.
01:59After he was convicted, Laura moved house.
02:03But she thinks he's found her new address and is watching her at night from across the street.
02:08To keep her safe, we won't film outside her property.
02:19Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you.
02:22Thanks so much for having me tonight.
02:24It's okay. Come through.
02:28I can't believe how dark it is now so quickly, isn't it?
02:31I know. It's quite creepy.
02:34How are you feeling?
02:35I'm okay. I'm a bit anxious. It's just not the greatest time.
02:40Yeah, so what's going on at the moment?
02:43Um, so he's on bail for breach in a suspended sentence, suspectively.
02:51Um, and keeps turning up here at, like, three, four in the morning.
02:57Um, I catch him on my ring doorbell, which is really creepy.
03:02The person we're seeing is standing there anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour and a half.
03:07What?!
03:08And they're just literally stood there and then they just disappear.
03:10But just, like, standing, staring?
03:12Yeah, staring at the house.
03:14Wow.
03:15Do you know that it's definitely him that's standing outside the house?
03:19Well, I can't think of anybody else, like a passerby, a dog walker.
03:22They wouldn't just stand there for, like, an hour staring at the house in the middle of the night.
03:26It's quite unpredictable, but, like, through the six weeks holidays, it was about eight times in six weeks.
03:33Oh, goodness me. I mean, you're on your own in this house.
03:36Mm-hm.
03:37How does that feel?
03:38Before I moved here, because I've had to move because of it, I would stay at my sister's every other weekend.
03:42Mm-hm.
03:43Just because I didn't feel safe at home.
03:45But then a vehicle that looks very similar to his started driving past my sister's house at, like, two in the morning.
03:53Always, like, grey area.
03:56Yep.
03:57So you know it's him, but it's not like he's knocking on the door and waving at the window, which is what the police need.
04:02So I think this is why it's so difficult to really get him charged.
04:08I mean, I'm lucky he has already been charged with stalking.
04:11Mm-hm.
04:12But I don't want to move again, because he's just going to keep finding where I live.
04:15Yeah.
04:16And it's frustrating, isn't it, because why should you have to uproot your entire life?
04:21Yeah.
04:22He's always been this way.
04:23When we split up, it was more like dropping stuff at the door unannounced.
04:29My neighbour's report told me he was turning up at my door looking in the kitchen window at, like, seven in the morning.
04:35I think when I first reported him to the police, because he was sending me 200 messages a day.
04:39Oh, my God.
04:40Without me not responding.
04:42200 messages a day?
04:44Yeah.
04:45And I had holes appear in my back fence.
04:47And every time I covered them up, more holes appeared.
04:49When I went round the back, you could just see straight into my living room.
04:52And you think that was him?
04:53Mm-hm.
04:54I had a note left by my house that said, caught in my trap.
04:58And this has been how many years?
05:00Four years.
05:01And it just doesn't seem to be ending.
05:04The conviction isn't even a deterrent.
05:07Mm-hm.
05:08I changed my car.
05:09I changed my routes.
05:10I don't...
05:11And it's still happening.
05:12So I just don't really know what's left to do.
05:16I know, like, they're talking about an SPO, which is a stalking prevention order.
05:20Mm-hm.
05:21What benefits will that give you?
05:23So the officer said she wants something about tagging him.
05:26Like, if he's tagged, at least I'd have that security of they can see exactly where he is.
05:31So I am really hoping they will tag him.
05:33Even though I'm not with him, I still thoroughly feel like my life is controlled around him.
05:38Mm-hm.
05:39And I think that's what I find most frustrating and, like, scary.
05:42Mm-hm.
05:43Because how can you escape something?
05:45Like, you've escaped, but you're still there.
05:47Yeah.
05:56You've been doing so well.
05:59Sometimes it's good to get it out, honestly.
06:02I think sometimes when you say it all out loud, like, you can't believe it's actually your life.
06:07Mm-hm.
06:14I'm staying the night with Laura to keep an eye on the ring doorbell so she gets a chance at a good night's sleep.
06:21When I came in, I always jumped on my own reflection.
06:25I feel, like, a bit paranoid in this house, to be honest.
06:31Unless you know what you're looking for, it is quite hard to identify.
06:35You can see he's just sat there.
06:37That was for about an hour that he was sat there.
06:39You can tell it's a person.
06:40Yeah.
06:41That is the figure of a person.
06:44You can't see a face.
06:46Yeah.
06:47You can just see the outline of someone standing there.
06:51Describe to me, though, that feeling of feeling like you're constantly being watched.
06:56It's really eerie and creepy.
06:58Mm-hm.
06:59I'll wake up in the night and constantly worrying about, is he outside?
07:02Mm-hm.
07:03What should I do if I see anything outside?
07:06So, if you see someone outside, you ring 999, my house is flagged.
07:11Someone should attend.
07:12Okay.
07:13It's nearly two o'clock in the morning, and, um, Laura's given me access to her ring doorbell
07:17cameras.
07:18I can't relax because I'm just zoomed in on the part.
07:20It's nearly two o'clock in the morning, and, um, Laura's given me access to her ring doorbell cameras.
07:30I can't relax because I'm just zoomed in on the pathway, and I'm just waiting for this figure to appear.
07:51Even, like, the creaking sound of the house is freaking me out a bit.
08:03Like, this is the reality of stalking.
08:06Like, this is how some women live every single day, doing this every night.
08:13Like, it would destroy me.
08:17It would absolutely destroy me.
08:19Luckily, there was no sign of a figure on the ring doorbell last night.
08:33I didn't sleep much.
08:35I spent, literally, like, most of the night checking the camera,
08:38and it makes you realise, like, how distinctive that figure is.
08:43The screenshots that you have, and it's undoubtedly someone.
08:47Yeah, I know.
08:48It's so otherwise pitch black.
08:50It's nice to have someone who's experienced it.
08:52I feel believed, which is very rare when you're, like, stalked by somebody.
08:56Thank you for having me. Thank you.
08:58No, thank you very much.
09:00I'm moved by how much it means for Laura to be believed.
09:08Having that experience, being there in that house, and just seeing everything through Laura's eyes, has given me so much insight into how she has been feeling every single day, every single night.
09:24I just couldn't, I just couldn't, I just could not relax at all.
09:30Spending time with Laura has made me realise how much the lives of victims are affected and controlled by their stalkers.
09:42I've had an update from Jen, who's been waiting to hear what happens to her stalker once he's released from prison.
09:50He's a stranger who is convinced they are in a relationship, turned up repeatedly at her workplace, and sent her unwanted, sexually explicit voice notes.
10:00The last time I spoke to her, she was preparing for his release from prison, but it sounds as if plans have changed.
10:08So, since your last message to me, what has happened? Fill me in.
10:14I got a call from an officer that I don't normally deal with, and he basically said, look, he has been struggling with his mental health, and that he's hearing voices and talking to himself.
10:24So, they've taken it very seriously, and they've basically sectioned him in a hospital, and they've guaranteed that he's going to be sectioned for six months.
10:32So, what's changed for you since he's been moved from the prison to the hospital? Like, is there anything you're worried about?
10:40I don't feel as safe, because when he's in the mental health unit, he's not got prison guards. It's just nurses. They're not the police.
10:49So, one of them says if they deem him OK tomorrow, and say, OK, there you go.
10:54It's in the hands of whoever makes a decision in six months' time and sits around a table and says, yeah, he's a risk or no, he's not.
11:01Mm-hm.
11:03What can I do? I've just got to sit back and wait.
11:05Yeah.
11:13I put a call out on my social media to see if anyone was willing to share their story with me.
11:18And I've had a lot of young women get in touch and tell me that they've been experiencing cyber-stalking.
11:23And one case in particular has really stood out to me.
11:27It seems as though she's been a victim of cyber-stalking for quite a few years now, ever since she was a teenager.
11:34And now she's a young adult, and it's still ongoing.
11:42Liv is 23.
11:43She's received unwanted sexual and abusive messages from fake Snapchat accounts over the past eight years.
11:50Liv, you're a whore, and then it moves on to Liv, you're a slut, and Liv, you're a fat slut.
12:03The messages are always from anonymous accounts, but she thinks it's someone she knows.
12:12Hi, Liv, how are you? Lovely to meet you.
12:15Lovely to meet you. Thank you.
12:17OK, come on in.
12:18How are you? How are you doing?
12:19I'm OK, thank you.
12:22So, can we talk a bit about how this all started?
12:28I was in school.
12:31I was 15 at the time.
12:32I had an account add me on Snapchat.
12:34And instantly this person was sending me, like, a picture of his dick, basically.
12:39Really?
12:40It was just a pattern of sending me explicit images, saying some pretty disgusting things.
12:47Like, what would he say?
12:48Um, just being like, oh, I'm wanking over you.
12:51They would delete the account, and another one would be made under a different name.
12:56But then, obviously, as time went on, they were becoming more and more complacent.
12:59And then, one day, I had a message on Instagram from his real account, being like, hey, oh, sorry, that was an accident.
13:04So, how frequent was this?
13:07Kind of making a fake account, sending explicit photos, messages, and then creating a new one?
13:14Multiple times a week.
13:15For me, I was really clutching at straws trying to figure out why me.
13:19I didn't know him, didn't speak to him.
13:21It's continued all the way to now.
13:23I had last had one, I think, on January this year.
13:27So, literally, like, this week or last week?
13:30Yeah, this week, yeah.
13:31In the beginning, account names used to be actual names.
13:34It's now things like, live, you're a slut, live, you're a whore.
13:37So, now, because I've stopped responding to them, have turned more aggressive.
13:43To get my attention.
13:45The last about ten accounts, live, you're a slut.
13:49And then it moves on to, live, you're a whore.
13:51Then, live, you're a fat slut.
13:54I get a few of those, and then, live, you're a whore.
13:57Eight years of this.
13:58Yeah.
14:00Didn't tell my mum until October 2023.
14:03Why did you not tell your mum?
14:05I knew if I told her, she would make me go to the police.
14:07Mm-hm.
14:08Told mum, mum, we went to the police that same day.
14:10What happened?
14:11They classed it under harassment and stalking.
14:14My original thought of stalking was, you know, being followed and stuff,
14:17but I never really thought that cyber-stalking was a thing.
14:21So, we had an officer come here.
14:23To start with, he was really great, making me feel like he was on my side.
14:28And I sent him all of the Snapchat accounts, which there's hundreds.
14:32But after I hadn't heard from him in a while, I rang Victim Support Line.
14:35They told me that the case had been closed.
14:38It sucks when you go to the people that are supposed to help and they don't.
14:44This isn't just Tom123 adding you on Snapchat.
14:47This has turned into Snapchat names being made as abusive messages towards you.
14:53Especially the new names.
14:55Especially the ones that, like, live, you're a fat slut.
14:58That makes me feel incredibly insecure.
15:01That, to me, is actually really where I become the most emotional.
15:08Harassment doesn't have to be just physical.
15:10Online harassment can do the same sort of emotional damage to someone
15:15that something physical could also do to someone.
15:24I want to speak to Liv's mum to see if she's also given up hope
15:28that the police can stop the cyber-stalker.
15:31How much has this affected you as a mum?
15:33Yeah, absolutely massively.
15:35It's in your mind every minute of every day.
15:40You know, and then it's as if he's playing a game
15:45because we can go several days, sometimes even a couple of weeks,
15:50and he hasn't sent a request.
15:53And then later that day, he's started again.
15:57You know, and it can be one after the other.
15:59And daily, the first question I ask her when I see her is,
16:02have you had a message from him today?
16:04Really? That's the first thing you say in the morning?
16:06First thing every day, which is crazy.
16:10You know, I'm sure it was a lot of courage from Olivia's part
16:13to go to the police and obviously with your support.
16:16How did it feel when you both came away from that situation
16:19with no resolution?
16:22Really deeply upset, angry, but also I didn't believe it
16:29and I still don't believe that there's nothing that they can do
16:32to find out who this is.
16:34Why can he not be found out and taken through the justice system?
16:39I'd love to look him in the eyes
16:41and also just to know that he's been stopped.
16:49I need to go back and see Laura.
16:51She's left me a message with an update on her ex-partner,
16:54who is on a suspended sentence for stalking her.
16:57Zara, I just spotted my stalker following me on the way to the supermarket
17:00and I couldn't believe it.
17:02I rung 101 to make a report of obviously a breach
17:06as he did follow me, which was absolutely terrifying.
17:10I wanted to show you sort of like where we crossed paths.
17:26So, can you see sort of like where that van is and those cars are there?
17:29He was there.
17:30Right, so you're really close.
17:32Yeah, I know that he saw me because he looked straight in my car.
17:35The supermarket's down here.
17:36Mm-hm.
17:37He was leaving the area.
17:38Mm-hm.
17:39So I was like, right, just, it's fine.
17:41Let's just take a breather.
17:43I then come down this road and then pulled into the car park.
17:49He's gone straight down and gone in the other side.
17:51Right, if you know the distance.
17:52Yeah.
17:53He's really put his foot down.
17:54So I was a bit like, how is he here?
17:57He must have driven so fast down here and round.
18:02I ran back to my car and went straight out.
18:04I wanted you to come along so we can actually go see for ourselves.
18:07So we've seen five cameras.
18:09Five cameras and I was told there was none.
18:11You got told there wasn't any CCTV?
18:13Yeah.
18:14The person in the force said there wasn't any in the area.
18:16I'm absolutely fuming, if I'm honest with y'all.
18:18I'm literally so mad.
18:19If they caught him here, he would go to prison.
18:21Mm-hm.
18:22It might only be six weeks, but six weeks of like,
18:24I wouldn't have to worry about just coming to the supermarket.
18:27But just to think that this could be all out the window now
18:29because they've still not looked at these cameras.
18:32I don't know how long the supermarket keeps their camera footage for.
18:34Well, I was going to say,
18:35because some places only keep it for like a couple of days.
18:37Oh, it's so frustrating.
18:39It just doesn't seem to work out too well for the victims.
18:41It just makes you a bit deflated.
18:44It's so hot.
18:50You just won't let go.
18:52That cycle must be so soul-destroying
18:55because you build yourself up, in a way,
18:58to thinking that this is over.
19:00Mm-hm.
19:01And then he inserts himself back in your life again.
19:04I'm just stuck until he decides otherwise, I guess.
19:09And that's just...
19:10That's just the...
19:11That's the best way to explain it.
19:13I'm starting to understand why stalking victims feel frustrated with the police.
19:24Many say they're expected to gather their own evidence.
19:30But now, some forces are responding to those concerns,
19:34putting more resources into investigations
19:36and easing the pressure on victims.
19:39I'm coming to the Met Police,
19:43and I want to ask those questions.
19:45How are they supporting victims?
19:48Because right now, I feel...
19:51I feel the frustration that the victims feel.
19:53And I see it, and I hear it.
19:56Hi! You OK?
19:58You all right?
19:59Yeah, I'm good. How are you?
20:00I'm good, good, good.
20:01Good, good.
20:02How are you guys? Thank you.
20:04Today, I'm following Detective Nicole on a stalking case
20:07involving a threatening ex.
20:09He is currently on court bail.
20:11He's pled guilty to the breach of non-molestation order,
20:13but not guilty to the stalking.
20:16Nicole is working with Irina from the Atlas team,
20:18specialists in digital and phone evidence.
20:21We requested cell-side data and call data from his mobile number.
20:26Mm-hm.
20:27We found about 70 calls within a few days to both her numbers.
20:31After that, he was arrested for stalking.
20:33How common are cases like this?
20:35Unfortunately, very.
20:37Many suspects have a pattern that is fixated and obsessive.
20:43This pattern mostly is of a rejected stalker.
20:46Mm-hm.
20:47He does not stop.
20:48Unfortunately, just because a victim changes her mobile number
20:51doesn't mean, OK, I'm fine, he'll never find me.
20:54They find TikTok and Snapchat and they'll eventually find her,
20:58because we all leave a footprint.
21:00I've arranged to meet the victim in Detective Nicole's case
21:06to understand what it takes to get a stalking case to court
21:09and what that process feels like for someone living through it.
21:13Her case is incredibly high risk
21:15and I don't want to compromise her safety at all.
21:18So I'm going to meet her and drive her out of the area that she lives.
21:23We won't reveal her identity when filming.
21:27Yes, hello.
21:28Hiya, Zara.
21:29Oh, hi, Zara, how are you?
21:31Hi, I'm good.
21:32I'm just parked round the corner.
21:34Let me know when you're ready and you can come and meet me in my car.
21:38Give me two seconds next.
21:39No worries.
21:40See you in a sec.
21:46Hi.
21:47How are you? Nice to meet you.
21:48Good, lovely to meet you.
21:50Do you mind popping this microphone on just so we can get your sound?
21:52Sure.
21:53Yeah, or you can just tuck it in anywhere.
21:54All good.
21:56I'm really grateful for you doing this,
21:58because I think other people watching this may be able to relate
22:03and find parts of their story and your story.
22:09Definitely.
22:11Right, let's go inside,
22:12because I'd really like to have a proper chat with you.
22:14Yeah, sure.
22:18Right, come through.
22:22So this is obviously your ex-partner, who is your stalker.
22:26What was he like when you met him?
22:27Very charming, caring.
22:30I didn't even imagine that there was other side to him.
22:33I had to be on video call at all times,
22:36even if I'm in the toilet, if I'm in the bath,
22:3924 hours a day, every day, morning till night.
22:43And then he would say,
22:44did you have sex with someone that you need to have a bath?
22:46Oh, my gosh.
22:48He didn't give me a chance to think.
22:50You found the strength to end that relationship a year ago?
22:53Yeah.
22:54Is that when the stalking began?
22:55Yes.
22:56The continuous harassment,
22:58being outside of my house every other day.
23:01You know, he would cry his eyes out and make me feel bad.
23:05Oh, you've done this to me, you blocked me,
23:07and I'm outside your house.
23:09Was he calling you and texting you?
23:11He would call me more than 500 times a day,
23:15and I would literally chuck my phone in some corner of my house.
23:20He made me hate myself for being in that situation, and then...
23:25Are you OK?
23:27Yeah.
23:28Yeah.
23:29He came to my house, banging on the door,
23:32and, like, I'm gonna kill him, signing it.
23:36He was doing this at the door?
23:38Yeah.
23:39Um, and he didn't leave from outside my house for a good five,
23:43six hours.
23:44I was terrified.
23:46That breaks my heart, hearing that.
23:48What evidence did you submit to the police?
23:51There was videos, calls, text messages.
23:56That was all forwarded over to the police,
23:58and it really did pile up.
24:00So, where are you now in terms of the police investigation?
24:05So, we're near the trial date, isn't it?
24:08In next month, hopefully.
24:10Well, next month.
24:11How are you feeling about going to court?
24:13Are you gonna go?
24:14Yes.
24:15Yes.
24:16I have to give my witness statement at the court while he's there.
24:20How were you feeling through this?
24:24Like I'm rubbish.
24:33That I would be treated like that.
24:35You did not deserve any of that.
24:44You know that.
24:45But it does come across to your mind, doesn't it?
24:50Well, you felt like you deserved that.
24:52Maybe.
24:53Maybe.
24:54You didn't.
25:07It takes a lot of courage to walk away from a controlling, coercive relationship.
25:13She knew that his behaviour would escalate after she ended the relationship.
25:17And she...
25:18She ended it.
25:19And she's gone to the police for their support.
25:22And it's nice actually hearing a story where a victim has had a really positive experience
25:29with the police.
25:30You know, Nicole really does have a good bond and relationship with this victim.
25:34And I think that makes all the difference.
25:35And you can really see and feel that in terms of the way they communicate.
25:39So, you know, it's good to see someone having a positive experience.
25:51I'm back to meet Liv, a young woman who's been cyberstalked for eight years.
25:56The police dropped her case last year for insufficient evidence.
25:59But she's still receiving ads from Snapchat accounts with abusive names.
26:04She's thinking about contacting the family members of the person she suspects
26:09is behind all of the accounts.
26:11I did consider maybe, you know, I could message his sister or his mum.
26:16It could go one of two ways.
26:17It could either go in the way of her being like,
26:19oh my gosh, my son is doing this to somebody's daughter.
26:23Or it could be, this girl is trying to ruin my son's life.
26:28So, you could get in contact with the family
26:31and it could actually help potentially stop this,
26:34but it could also antagonise him.
26:37Unless the police are going to be on side with me,
26:40going to his mum or going to his sister,
26:42I don't really want to have to go through that alone.
26:45Obviously, since you went there in 2023, more has happened.
26:48You've got more accounts.
26:50Have you thought about taking that back to the police?
26:52Reading the messages, again, has made me realise
26:55that maybe there is that tiny bit of evidence
27:00that I need to revisit with the police.
27:03Even if it's just to ask why they closed the case without telling me
27:06and why could they not go and speak to him
27:08and just show up at his door, just a conversation with him.
27:11I want to know why they couldn't do that in the first place.
27:14I can't really remember a time where this wasn't happening.
27:17Erm...
27:19So, yeah, it would be great to go through some of my years of my life
27:24and know that this is put to bed
27:26and I don't have to be worrying that somebody might be watching me
27:30or finding out information about my life.
27:37Well done!
27:47Detective Nicole is meeting with the victim I met last week.
27:50They're going through last-minute preparations for the court case.
27:55He is on trial for stalking her.
27:57He will be removed from the courtroom.
28:00Oh, good.
28:01You will walk into the courtroom, so you'll be able to see the courtroom.
28:05Right. And then you'll go straight to the stand.
28:07The victim personal statement...
28:09Yeah.
28:10..it gets read out in court.
28:11We'll just go through the questions.
28:13Describe the impact this has had on your lifestyle.
28:16Lost my independence.
28:18I'm literally terrified to leave the house.
28:21Please explain if you feel the defendant is or will be a threat
28:24to you, your family or the community.
28:27I've seen his violent side, so I know what he is capable of.
28:31So you think it's important that, in response to being found guilty
28:36of this, that he would be given prison time for what he's done?
28:39I hope so.
28:46After waiting for a year for the investigation to come to an end,
28:50Detective Nicole's case has finally come to court.
28:53Hiya.
28:54I'm sure he won't be there, but we'll keep an eye to make sure
28:57that he doesn't come into view.
28:58OK.
28:59Thanks, bye-bye.
29:00She's feeling really nervous, which is understandable,
29:05about the possibility that she could bump into him.
29:09But I think, you know, she's going to come out the other side
29:13of this and she's going to feel so glad for having done all of this.
29:17Hello.
29:18They're out in less than an hour.
29:30It's bad news.
29:32The case won't be heard today.
29:34It's been adjourned for four months.
29:37Disappointed.
29:39I was expecting this to be over today
29:41and it's clearly going to go on for the next few months.
29:44I'm just so angry.
29:47The reason why the judge adjourned it for four months
29:50is because he said something in an interview
29:53that is relating to his phone that we have in our possession.
29:56What the defence barrister has now said in court today
29:59is that that is crucial for his defence and they need that.
30:02So what is frustrating for me
30:04is that the defence lawyer didn't tell us about this before today
30:08because then I could have looked into it.
30:10And he's just walked away looking like I've won.
30:13I was hoping to be heard what he's done to me,
30:16how he's made me feel.
30:18Six months is going to be like hell for me.
30:20I'm so sorry about how it's all played out.
30:23But...
30:24Hopefully we get something good come out of this.
30:27Yeah, exactly.
30:28And we've just got to stay positive
30:30and wait till the next hearing.
30:32All right, that's cool.
30:33Take care.
30:34Look after yourself.
30:35I'll speak too soon, OK?
30:39Let's get some food, OK?
30:48Laura, who suspected her ex-partner was watching her house at night,
30:52has been told by the police that her case will be closed
30:55due to insufficient evidence.
30:57However, there's a court hearing tomorrow
31:00to apply for a stalking protection order,
31:02which requires a lower threshold of evidence
31:04than a criminal conviction.
31:06Mic on.
31:08I'm heading in to meet Laura.
31:10This is her last chance to really solidify,
31:13hopefully, the stalking protection order.
31:16That is her last shot at getting some protection.
31:21Right, shall we go? Camera in the bag, yeah?
31:23Cool.
31:24Hi.
31:29Hi.
31:30How are you?
31:31I'm OK.
31:32Ready?
31:33Let's go.
31:42So, how are you feeling?
31:43Uh, a bit nervous.
31:45Mm-hm.
31:46If the stalking protection order doesn't go through tomorrow,
31:49that will leave me with nothing.
31:51Like, if you compared my story from the beginning,
31:53he would be outside my house.
31:55He would ring me, he would text me,
31:57like, however many messages a day.
31:59And as time's gone on and he has been arrested
32:02and he knows what's put him away,
32:04he will then source a different way to stalk me.
32:09Like, it shouldn't be that easy to dance around the system.
32:12Yeah, and it is.
32:13This is why my investigating officer was like,
32:15we really need to push for this stalking protection order.
32:18Things are done a lot quicker on an SPO,
32:21but you don't know if that's ever going to switch
32:23if I do something in my life and that could trigger him.
32:26Like, you know, I've not, you know,
32:28been in a relationship with anyone since this has all gone on.
32:31I don't know if that would trigger him,
32:32if that's something I would do,
32:33and I don't know if it would escalate,
32:35and it's something that I think about, like, all the time,
32:37that I can't just move on with my life
32:39in case it triggers him.
32:41I'm sorry, babe.
32:53It's so hard, isn't it?
32:54Because you deserve to be able to move on with your life.
32:58Even though I've got a restraining order against him,
33:01I feel like I'm the one with the restrictions.
33:03So, like, even like day-to-day things,
33:05like if I wanted to go back to work,
33:07I have to apply for things like where it can be safe,
33:10where he's less likely to be.
33:12He breaks the rules all the time and no one seems to care.
33:17It just angers me.
33:19I just want to get it over and done with, if that makes sense.
33:22At the end of the day, it depends what the judge says.
33:25Laura has decided not to attend the hearing.
33:30She hopes she will get a stalking protection order
33:33with conditions that include electronic tagging
33:35and police access to his phone,
33:37which could help provide evidence of any breach.
33:40So, it's been a year since I became the officer in charge
33:43of this case.
33:44Everything else we've tried hasn't been enough
33:46to secure that prosecution,
33:48to stop him from the fixated behaviour towards Laura.
33:51The GPS tag would obviously allow us to see
33:53where he is at any time of the day,
33:55and the phone conditions would allow
33:57any police constable to ask him for access to his phone
33:59and he would have to hand it over.
34:03This is my, like, turning point in my life,
34:05where I could have a better quality of life, safer life,
34:08you know, feel a bit more confident that he's being managed.
34:13Oh, my God, I feel physically, like, sick.
34:16My heart is literally pounding.
34:23It can't be that bad. It can't be that bad.
34:28Oh, God, she's ringing.
34:30PHONE RINGS
34:32Hello?
34:33Hi, Laura, it's Jess.
34:35Oh, hello. How are you?
34:37I'm good, thank you. How are you?
34:39Really nervous. I'm shaking.
34:41Oh, no, I'm sorry it took so long.
34:43Oh, it's OK.
34:44There was a lot of conversations with myself and the barrister
34:47and with him and the barrister.
34:49Uh-huh.
34:50So, we have a stalking protection order.
34:53Oh, that's good.
34:54However, it's only five years.
34:56Five years, OK.
34:57Yep, five years on the 10th.
34:59OK.
35:00And it has six of the conditions.
35:02OK, so which ones are missing?
35:04It includes the ones that, obviously, not to contact you,
35:07not to harass you, not to intimidate you, not to stalk you.
35:10But it doesn't have any of the phone conditions.
35:13OK.
35:14It doesn't have the tag.
35:15I mean, it's good that we got the order.
35:17Obviously, it's just a bit disappointing that we didn't get
35:20what we wanted.
35:21Did they say why or anything?
35:23He obviously presented the argument that no further action
35:25had been taken against him.
35:27So, I'm kind of, like, mixed emotions.
35:30But I suppose the thing that I can think of is,
35:34at least I can still go to the offender manager
35:36if I'm concerned about anything, right?
35:39Yeah, absolutely.
35:40All right, thank you very much.
35:42All right, speak to you soon. Bye.
35:44The stalking department of the police force put this together.
35:46The solicitors that work with the stalking department
35:49all agreed that this was justifiable.
35:55So, I'm really not much better off, to be honest.
35:59So, what am I meant to do, then, when you're invasive me,
36:01like, all the time?
36:03Apparently, I'm supposed to just barricade my house of cameras,
36:08change my route every time I go somewhere,
36:11don't go to the same supermarket,
36:13keep an eye out, be vigilant, just walk into my car.
36:16If I do see him, make sure I run away.
36:19What does he have to do, then?
36:21Everyone enables the behaviour
36:23and says it's not a big deal, and it is.
36:33Hampshire Police say,
36:34In this case, we had previously secured a stalking conviction
36:37against the suspect,
36:38but were unable to meet the required evidential standard
36:41needed to secure a conviction, even with recovered CCTV.
36:45We will always assess whether there are other measures
36:47we can take to support victims and their safety.
36:50In this instance, a stalking protection order,
36:52which is managed and enforced through a dedicated offender manager.
36:56I've had a concerning message from Liv.
37:00She's still receiving abusive ads on Snapchat.
37:03She did report it to the police like she planned,
37:05but her appointment to give a statement was cancelled.
37:08So I was supposed to be going to the police station tomorrow,
37:13and they basically told me that they can't really do much
37:17because the accounts aren't necessarily targeting me.
37:24I said that they've literally got my name in the account,
37:28and he was like,
37:29it's not really incriminating, though,
37:32because he's not threatening you,
37:33and I was saying that the username is literally
37:36Liv, you're a slur, Liv, you're all.
37:39And he was like, as you can appreciate,
37:41there's a lot of Olivia's in the world.
37:42They might not be targeting you,
37:44and I was like, this has been happening since I was 15.
37:48It's just rubbish,
37:49and they've told me not to come down to the station tomorrow
37:53because there's really not a lot that they can do.
37:56A few days later, she had a call back from the police.
38:00I had a call from victim support,
38:03who rang me to ask me how...
38:05whether I was comfortable with the support that I'd been given.
38:09And I was honest.
38:10They said that they would let the sergeant know in charge,
38:13and hopefully some more training to the officers could be given.
38:18And since then, they've re-booked an appointment for me,
38:21so that's where I'm going today, back to the station.
38:25They want to take a full statement from me.
38:29I feel really anxious.
38:31A little bit sick.
38:34I think it's the unpredictability of not knowing how the day is going to go,
38:39how I'm going to be treated,
38:44and how much I'm going to feel heard.
38:49I do feel like this is the chance for me to give them everything
38:53and start from the very, very beginning.
39:05Two hours later, Liv is out, having given a full statement.
39:10The officer that I've just spoken to,
39:12she really made an effort to make sure that I didn't feel like
39:18my case wasn't important whenever I said,
39:22like, look, I understand I'm not being physically harmed,
39:25but she would stop me in my tracks and be like,
39:28there is no buts, like, this is unwanted harassment,
39:31and, you know, if you want it to stop, it needs to stop.
39:35If they can't charge him this time round,
39:43I think I'll still be frustrated,
39:45but I think I've been given the space to give it all the evidence
39:50that I have is draining, not having the escape.
39:54Like, cyberstalking, you don't have a safe house you can go to,
39:57you don't have, you know, an escape of some form.
40:00It is constantly, constantly there.
40:03Wherever you are in the world, you can't escape it,
40:06so it does need to be taken seriously.
40:08At the end of the day, I want this sorted.
40:10At the end of the day, I want him charged
40:12and I want it finished with.
40:15I want to catch up one last time with Jen.
40:27Her stalker, a stranger, who believed they were in a relationship,
40:32repeatedly turned up at her workplace
40:34and sent her unwanted, sexually explicit voice notes.
40:38When I last spoke to her, he had been moved to the mental health unit
40:41of a secure hospital, leaving her in limbo.
40:46She's finally found out what happens next.
40:50I met Jen quite a while ago now, so it's been a long time
40:54that she's been going through this ordeal
40:56and I really, really feel for her.
41:00I really do.
41:02I think seeing a young woman...
41:05Oh, there she is.
41:07Hi!
41:08How are you?
41:09Lovely to see you.
41:10How are you?
41:11How are you?
41:12Thank you for coming.
41:14It's a pleasure.
41:15And good suggestion going to get some fish and chips.
41:18Yeah.
41:21Let's get something to eat.
41:23Mmm.
41:24And let's properly catch up about everything.
41:28Smells good.
41:29Mmm.
41:30Hi there.
41:31Hi.
41:32How are we doing?
41:33All right?
41:34Good, thank you.
41:35What do you want, Jen?
41:36I'll get a battered sausage, please.
41:37Yeah?
41:38Anything else?
41:39Can I also get a small pod and chips?
41:45See you later.
41:46Bye.
41:49So tell me, what is the update then with everything that's going on?
41:52With him being in the mental health hospital, there has to be an end to it.
41:55They're going to take him on supervised visits.
41:57Mmm-hmm.
41:58With three people at once...
42:00Three people at once at the start.
42:02See how he gets on for a couple of weeks.
42:04When they feel comfortable, they will move him from there.
42:1020 minutes drive from my house.
42:1220 minutes away?
42:13Yeah.
42:14What was their rationale for that?
42:15Because that is the only place that can treat him for what he needs to treat him for
42:20and that is still some sort of hostile for people that have come out of prison.
42:24So where does that leave you now?
42:26Something bad is more likely to happen now.
42:30Why do you think that is?
42:32Because they're going to put him too close to me.
42:34For him, how much temptation can you have to be 20 minutes away?
42:37I'm terrified.
42:39Like, he has said, I'm not going to listen to the police.
42:43I'm in a relationship with her.
42:45What do you think could happen?
42:46I think he's probably going to attack me.
42:48You think he's going to attack you?
42:49Yeah.
42:50Because he said to me, I want to kiss you.
42:52I want to be with you.
42:53I want to have children with you.
42:55I'm not confused about what he thinks he wants from me.
42:58I understand what he's saying there.
43:01He wants to be intimate with you?
43:02Yeah.
43:03And it wouldn't be my choice, so that would be to attack me.
43:07Is there anything you think could help in this situation?
43:10If there was something in place for me, like, help me find somewhere that will be safe,
43:16that maybe they can say, we won't allow him to come anywhere near here, rather than left to figure it out and just use your common sense to say safe.
43:25I mean, it's the first time I've heard you talking about moving.
43:29It's starting to look like the most appealing thing because I'm so tired.
43:36I can't exist while someone wants to hunt me down.
43:40I don't want to cry.
43:45You've done so well, babe.
43:48I'm sad that you're going to have to be the one to take the step to try and leave this problem behind,
43:58rather than having it taken away from you because you never asked for it.
44:03Yeah, I think it is time to try and start all over again.
44:18Spending time with these women has been one of the most eye-opening and emotional experiences of my life.
44:40The impact that this crime has on its victims is truly devastating.
44:45I mean, I've seen women have to change their entire lives, their entire routine,
44:51but also live in constant fear.
44:54Stalking is not just unwanted attention.
44:57It is a serious crime that has serious consequences.
45:15You may want to thank that.
45:17As a person, everyone knows.
45:18I'm not the only one to take a new job,
45:19but we can't wait a few time against them.
45:20I haven't had people ever asked them if they were going to get the last call.
45:21And whoever else has any love in the past is not even worth it.
45:22I've never said that.
45:23You can't wait for one day.
45:24I know that I'm sorry.
45:25I know that you may even wish that you've been even more clear.
45:26I know that you're going to have a better place to come up.
45:27What are you doing now?
45:28I'm sorry.
45:29I know that you're going to find all different things.
45:31I'm sorry.
45:32I know that you've got it.
45:33I know it's not even up that you're using today.
45:34I know it's not anything like the whole life area.
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