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Stalking campaigner welcomes new legislation
By Jennie SlevinDecember 05, 2012
A stalking victim who has campaigned for 18 years to make it a criminal offence has welcomed new legislation.
Tracey Morgan, of Crowthorne, who was stalked and harassed by a former colleague for a decade, took her campaign to make stalking a separate offence to the Prime Minister David Cameron in March.
This week, the Government introduced legislation outlining two separate offences of stalking, which will sit alongside the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act. The offences came into force on Sunday.
Tracey lived in fear of her stalker Anthony Burstow for 10 years before he was jailed in 2001 for the attempted murder of another woman. She said: “It’s great that we have come this far, although there’s still a lot of work to do. Men and women can go for help and receive better protection than previously, because of the lack of confusion over stalking, harassment and dispute coming under the same law.”
Tracey, 44, said the 1997 act went some way to protect victims, but was also used for less serious cases like neighbour disputes.
She added: “We needed to separate stalking from these lower level crimes because of the seriousness and devastation stalking can cause, including murder.”
Tracey will continue to work for victims’ rights and thinks the Government now needs to focus on the victims of crimes and make sure they are the priority.
Information and help for anyone concerned about stalking is available on Tracey’s website www.tracey-morgan.com.
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