A NATIONAL anti-stalking group in Scotland is developing a phone app which can be used by victims to help build up evidence of harassment.
Since new legislation to make stalking a specific crime was introduced here in 2010 the number of convictions has soared. In 2015-16 there were 638 stalking cases resulting in convictions, compared to just 52 in 2010-11.
But experts say more can be done and cases are still being under-reported, often with challenges around the gathering of evidence.
Anne Marie Hicks, national lead for stalking at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said it was working with The Scottish National Stalking Group – which includes representatives from police, health service and charities – to develop an app which enables evidence to be gathered electronically.
“It is not just about recording events which will help with the evidence gathering, but it will also help to validate that victim’s experience about what they are going through and give them back some control over the process,” she said.
“One of the things people tell us about this loss of control – you have got this behaviour but you don’t know where it is happening, it is unpredictable and enduring and you don’t know when it is going to happen or what exactly is going to happen.”
Hicks said the app was in the process of being funded and piloted, but the intention was to use technology – which is often used to harass victims – to help instead.
“There is a lot of new technology, like social media, which can be a bit of a stalker’s paradise, but also I think it can be a friend as well as a foe,” she added.
Stalking was recognised as a specific criminal offence within Scottish law for the first time in the Criminal Justice & Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.
Hicks said it had helped to raise awareness of the problem, when previously both victims and the police may not have known how to deal with behaviour which is not always overtly criminal, such as leaving flowers outside a house or notes on a car window.
She added: “There is a better law enforcement response, but it is also about better victim confidence and people understanding that this is a crime. The conviction rate was 80 per cent last year. That just amazes me, given the challenges and complexities and vulnerabilities in these cases.
“Having that sound law which calls it what it is, a robust law enforcement response and much improved victim support in place – all of that has a real impact on the confidence of people coming forward.”
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