Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17294314

I had thought it was already a crime?:confused:

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

I believe it currently only becomes a crime when another offence is committed at the same time e.g. threatening behaviour, assault etc. A stranger bringing you flowers every day and waiting outside your house would be considered stalking but only a crime if something else they did was an offence e.g. if they ignored a court order you'd obtained to prevent them bothering you.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

It would come under harrassment.

I wonder if it will include internet forums and such :)

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

no not yet

Sadly though some of the tabloids have decided to trivialise the measures by concentrating on "Wolf whistling" in their headlines :rolleyes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...iminal-offence

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

I suppose really if you look at it in that a criminal offence means a punishment of having to pay a fine. then you could see it as you can do what you want as long as you're prepared to keep paying the fees. and the more offences there are that incur a fine are made, the more money they make.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

That story suggests that these are two separate measures rather than trivialising stalking by referring to wolf whistling.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

Quite right they are two separate measures, so why the guardian decided to put something as trivial as wolf whistling in the headline when the actual meat or the story is a far more serious issue and something long overdue

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

Good point. I hate that organisation. it's nothing more than organised crime what they do :)

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

Because to have laws which criminalise remarks judged to be sexist and/or wolf whistling is not 'trivial', it's a move which poses further questions and a law which could be horribly illiberal and dangerous. It's also a newer development than the laws on stalking which have been in the motions for some time.

The Guardian is a liberal paper. It's also one which has been running many articles on female inequality in the run up to day, International Woman's Day, so I don't think they are seeking to minimise the issue of stalking as their editorial position is rather pro-feminist.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

I agree with that,i just feel the headline could have been a bit better worded .
You are correct in that if the laws aren't thought through properly then it will be open season for feminists out there,and lets not forget that these new proposals should apply to men just as much as women because there are some pretty nasty women out there

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

Oh god. I thought the last lot were bad for announcing new, badly thought out, laws on a whim to capture some headlines when the laws already on the statute books work fine.

All this will do reinforce the 'he sent me a message on Facebook, I want him charged' mob who get an unfair percentage of Police time already and ignore the decent people who are actually being stalked.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

Damn - there goes my weekend hobby.

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

You beat me to it:D:D:D

Re: Stalking to be made specific criminal offence - Cameron
 

I could have sworn that stalking had been dealt with by some slight modification of present law.