Victoria Atkins MP pledges support for survivors of stalking in National Stalking Awareness Week Victoria Atkins MP has pledged her support for victims of stalking in Parliament during National Stalking Awareness Week with Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
National Stalking Awareness Week is an annual, national event which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of stalking. This year, National Stalking Week is taking place from 18th-24th April.
Stalking will affect one in five women and one in ten men in their lifetimes, and of all domestic homicides 40% of the victims were stalked prior to death. As such it is vital to raise awareness of the dangers associated with this behaviour.
Victoria said,
“I welcome the work being done to raise awareness of this serious crime both in Parliament and throughout the country. Stalking is a serious crime which blights the lives of victims as well as those closest to them.
I know from my previous career prosecuting serious criminals, that there is much more that can and must be done to prevent this terrible crime. As such, I fully support the campaign to increase the maximum sentence for stalking from five years’ to ten years’ imprisonment or, in other words, more than you can get for stealing a chocolate bar.”
If you have been affected by stalking, please call the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300 for advice and support
