Stalkers may soon have tough time in Britain

Arab Herald (IANS) Sunday 5th February, 2012

The British government may soon formulate a law laying down "substantial" jail terms for stalkers.

British parliamentarians believe the problem has become so acute that a new law is required for protecting victims from emotional and physical abuse, the Daily Mail reported.

A major inquiry is expected to recommend that stalking should be made a specific criminal offence.

An all-party parliamentary group, following a six-month investigation, will state this week that stalkers should face substantial jail terms.

It comes before the result of a separate Home Office inquiry, which completed its consultations Sunday over ways to prevent stalking victims.

The parliamentary group on stalking heard evidence from lawyers, psychologists, academics and the parents of murdered stalking victims.

Chairman Elfyn Llwyd MP told The Observer: "We are very firmly of the view that there needs to be a change in the law."

As per British Crime Survey figures, there are an estimated 120,000 cases of stalking in the Britain anually, 53,000 are recorded as crimes by police and only one in 50 of these leads to an offender being jailed.