AC4.3 - crim unit 2, campaigns

Sarah’s law - newspaper campaign

Clare’s law - individual campaign

Protection against stalking - pressure groups

• 2011 launched a campaign to introduce law making stalking a specific offence

• The existing 1997 anti harassment law did not refer specifically to stalking

• Estimates puts the number of victims at 120000 a year

• In some cases it leads attacks and death

• Claire Bernal was shot dead by her stalker in 2005 while she was at work

• Killer had been at court the following week for harassing her

• The way police dealt with it was inadequate and they did not take it seriously - only 70 prosecutions in 10 years under 1997 act

• PAS set up an independent parliamentary inquiry (lasted 7 months, heard voices of victims etc..), persuading MPs and peers from all parties to serve on it

• PAS able to get support from MPs to include an amendment to a bill that was going through parliament

• Became the protection of freedoms act in April 2012

• Made stalking criminal

• Kept campaign in public eye through press releases to the media

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