 Stalked

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

BBC Radio 4 FM

Documentaries

Factual: Crime & Justice

BBC Radio 4 - Stalked

How is stalking being policed across the UK? Lucinda Borrell finds out.

After the death of Alice Ruggles in 2016, new laws were introduced in 2020 to give police more powers to tackle stalking. Lucinda Borrell asks if they’re actually working.

It’s just over two years since the Government brought in new legislation to provide stalking victims with additional protections from those persecuting them. 

But in recent months, there have been two high-profile cases where stalkers have ultimately ended up murdering their victims - Gracie Spinks and Yasmin Chakifi. Both women had reported their stalkers to the police before their deaths.

So is this legislation working? Stalking deaths are rare. They may also preventable and a sign of systematic failures to protect vulnerable members of our communities - most of whom are women.

Lucinda Borrell travels across the country to speak to legislators and the police themselves, getting an understanding of how difficult it is to police stalking crimes and assessing national efforts to train police officers and investigate stalking effectively. 

She also speaks with stalking victims and advocates who say they’ve had to investigate their own cases and push for protection following a lack of awareness and confusion about the new laws in local police forces.


Presenter/ Producer: Lucinda Borrell
Executive Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Stalked

Genres

Formats

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4