Tag: National Stalking Awareness Week

Police Scotland: National Stalking Awareness Week

Hundreds of people report being victims of stalking each year in Scotland

Police Scotland recorded 744 stalking offences between 1 April to 31 December 2025, up from 686 in the same period the year before, with detection rates of 78.13% and 80.88%, respectively. Almost half of these crimes were related to domestic offending.

National Stalking Awareness Week runs between 20 and 26 April and Police Scotland is joining forces with partner Action Against Stalking to highlight the impact of stalking and harassment and call out the importance of supporting victims.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Sergeant, lead for domestic abuse, stalking and harassment, Police Scotland, said: “The impact of stalking and harassment on victims cannot be underestimated.

“As well as causing fear and alarm, it impacts on how they live their lives, how safe they feel, how they act and how they react. Police Scotland will continue to collaborate with partner agencies to protect and support victims of stalking and actively pursue perpetrators to prevent further harm.

“Every stalking situation is unique, but most stalkers demonstrate FOUR distinct types of behaviours: fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated.

“Victims can be subjected to unwanted calls, texts, or messages. It can include hacking into devices and installing tracking apps, taking control of someone’s social media profile, or sharing or threatening to share photos, videos, or personal information.

“If you or anyone you know is a victim of stalking, then please contact the police. We will listen.

“Information people share with us is vital in helping us put together that jigsaw of incidents and behaviours that taken together allows us to evidence stalking.

“Action Against Stalking advises keeping a log of incidents, and this can be extremely helpful for our investigations.

“We will assess the risk, put in place a safety plan and work with partners to ensure support is available.

“National Stalking Awareness Week is a reminder to us all of the impact of stalking and harassment and the importance of partnership in tackling this insidious abuse.”

Hayley Tennant, Action Against Stalking CEO said: “Stalking can have a devastating and long lasting impact on victims, affecting their sense of safety, wellbeing, and everyday freedom. It is not a series of minor incidents but a pattern of behaviour that can escalate and cause serious harm.

“National Stalking Awareness Week is an opportunity to remind victims that they are not alone, that support is available, and that early reporting and documenting incidents can be crucial in helping them regain control and stay safe. We always encourage individuals who are experiencing stalking to contact and report to Police Scotland.”

“If you or anyone you know is a victim of stalking and harassment then please contact Police Scotland on 101, or 999 in an emergency. People can also report online, or via a third party like Action Against Stalking.”

National Procurator Fiscal for Domestic Abuse reaffirms commitment to tackling stalking

A recent survey found that almost 12% of people in Scotland had experienced at least one form of stalking and harassment in the previous 12 months. As we mark National Stalking Awareness Week, I want to reaffirm the commitment of Scotland’s prosecutors in tackling stalking and protecting victims.

Stalking takes many forms and can involve spying on a victim and monitoring their activities, often through their mobile phone or social media and online accounts, along with a host of other intimidating and intrusive behaviour such as being sent unwanted messages, phone calls, cards and gifts, or being followed or having someone loitering outside their home or work.

Many victims of stalking know their stalker in some way, often as their partner or ex-partner but many others do not. The offence does not only occur in intimate relationships; it can be work related, prompted by an ongoing dispute or as a result of a person’s public profile.For any victim, the experience of being stalked can be frightening and distressing and can have a huge emotional impact.

Stalking is a criminal offence. For a person to be prosecuted for stalking, they must have engaged in a course of conduct on at least two occasions, which caused the victim to suffer fear and alarm where the accused intended or ought to have known that their behaviour would cause fear and alarm.

In isolation, many incidents of stalking might appear innocuous – receiving an unexpected gift could be viewed as a nice surprise – but it is the repeated and unwanted pattern of behaviour which makes it criminal. It is always important to look at the whole picture and the impact on the victim. Regardless of what prompted the behaviour, it can leave victims feeling fearful, powerless and isolated.

While by definition stalking occurs over a period of time, victims do not have to wait years or even months to seek help and support.Scotland’s prosecutors understand the impact of stalking and will always consider the safety of victims when prosecuting stalking offences.

In 2019-2020, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service received more than 1,100 reports of stalking offences from the police. We take every case seriously and are always mindful of the risk of the behaviour escalating.

We know the fixation of a person engaging in stalking behaviour is unlikely to end on arrest and so we take steps to address this.Stalking has been a specific offence in Scotland since 2010, and every COPFS staff member received training following its introduction.

We have come a long way since then. Every victim in a stalking case is now referred to COPFS’s Victim Information and Advice Service (VIA) where specialist staff provide updates and support to victims to help them navigate the prosecution process, and we work closely with police and third sector organisations.

I would urge anyone who has been the victim of this type of offending to report it to the police and seek support.

Moira Price

National Procurator Fiscal for Domestic Abuse