Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has disclosed that she believed she would be killed during a stalking ordeal, as she announced new measures to strengthen protections for victims in England and Wales.
Speaking to broadcasters, Phillips said that in one of her own stalking cases she was not told the identity of the perpetrator, and that lack of knowledge added to the trauma. The new guidance will require police to inform victims once a stalker's identity is established, including those using anonymous online accounts.
The minister also revealed that a convicted stalker was able to send letters to her from prison. Under updated stalking protection orders, judges will now have the power to ban convicted stalkers from contacting their victims while incarcerated.
Phillips cited the case of broadcaster Nicola Thorp, who did not learn her stalker's identity until he appeared in court. 'Everybody became her stalker – the person she was sat next to on the street,' Phillips said, describing the added burden of distrust.
Official figures show one in seven people aged 16 and over in England and Wales have been victims of stalking, with women and younger people most affected. The Home Office described the measures as first steps in reviewing whether stalking legislation, not notably updated for over a decade, remains fit for purpose.
