A woman who was stalked by her former partner has spoken out for the first time during National Stalking Awareness Week, urging others to recognise the signs of stalking and report it.  

Lisa* had been in a relationship with her former partner for over 20 years. During this time, she was subjected to his controlling and abusive behaviour.  

When she ended their relationship, he refused to accept it and began stalking her – both in person and online. 

Lisa is one of a growing number of people who have experienced being stalked. During National Stalking Awareness Week, Lisa has chosen to share her story for the first time, speaking out about her experience to encourage others to recognise the signs of stalking.

Recently released Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data shows prosecutions for stalking offences have reached their highest level on record, rising to 7,168 cases in 2024–25. More than eight in ten of these cases (5,929) were also flagged as related to domestic abuse, showing that most victims are stalked by someone they know, often a former partner – as in Lisa’s case.

Lisa said: “My stalker targeted me every way he could. He turned up at my door and places I would be, so I felt like I was always looking over my shoulder and I never felt safe. He contacted me hundreds of times a day.  

“The constant calls and abusive messages made me feel trapped, and like I couldn’t escape. He tried to hack my email account, and changed passwords to many of my other accounts, so I couldn’t use them. When I blocked him on social media, I later discovered he had hacked someone else’s account to keep watching and monitoring me.”

Her ex-partner repeatedly turned up at the home they had previously shared, letting himself into the house despite being told he was not welcome. He also appeared at places she visited, without warning.

The abuse escalated online. He created fake dating profiles in her name to cause distress and used multiple social media accounts under false identities to send a torrent of abusive messages to Lisa and those close to her, leaving her feeling threatened and scared.  

Stalking is a pattern of fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviour. It can include persistent and intrusive actions that cause fear, alarm and distress, or force a person to change their day-to-day behaviour.  

Anyone who believes they are being stalked should report it to police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Further support is available through the National Stalking Helpline.

Lisa reported her experiences to the police.  

She said: “Being stalked was a horrific experience. My message to anyone who thinks they are being stalked is to report it. Report everything - no matter how ‘small’ it might seem. This massively helped in my case, as it all helped build a bigger picture of how a stalker is behaving, and how it’s affecting your life.

“It affected every aspect of life. I felt petrified and I was constantly second guessing myself. The impact hasn’t disappeared. It still affects me to this day.

“I didn’t know if I would ever get justice, but by reporting what was happening, my stalker has been held to account. He hasn’t gotten away with it.”

Lisa’s stalker was arrested and charged. After the CPS presented a strong case file, he pleaded guilty and was convicted of stalking. He was sentenced to two years, eight months imprisonment and given a 10-year restraining order.

Olivia Rose, CPS National Stalking Lead, said: “Being stalked is a terrifying experience, and its impact on victims can be life-changing. Sadly stories like Lisa’s aren’t uncommon.”

The number of prosecutions for the most serious stalking offences are also rising. CPS data shows prosecutions for Section 4A stalking offences - where stalking causes fear of violence, or serious alarm or distress - more than doubled between 2020–21 and 2024–25.

There are two main stalking offences. Section 2A covers summary only stalking, and Section 4A recognises the most serious cases of stalking, giving the courts greater sentencing powers. Prosecutors are encouraged to charge the most serious offence, where there is evidence to do so to enable the court to arrive at the right sentence.

In Lisa’s case, when the offender offered to plead guilty to a less serious charge, CPS prosecutors argued his behaviour caused Lisa serious alarm and distress. He pleaded guilty to the more serious Section 4A offence.

Olivia Rose added: “We are prosecuting more stalking offences than ever before. As offenders adapt their tactics in a digital world, we are determined to stay ahead of them.  

“We are working with tech and trauma experts to help prosecutors spot patterns of abuse, charge the right offences, and build strong cases.

“There is never any justification for stalking. If it is happening to you, it’s not your fault and you are not alone.”

In March the CPS launched its first Stalking Action Plan, setting out how prosecutors are tackling stalking in a digital age. This includes closer working with tech experts and the introduction of a stalking data flag to better track cases through the criminal justice system.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP said: “Stalking is a sinister crime. Perpetrators can stalk in plain sight or lurk in the shadows, behind a keyboard or at the end of a phone. They want to control their victims, intimidate them and put them in a constant state of fear or distress.  

“No victim should suffer in silence, and I urge you to come forward. You will be taken seriously, and we will do everything we can to pursue justice for you.”

Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium said: “The National Stalking Consortium welcomes the CPS Stalking Action Plan which it hopes will bring much-needed improvements for victims of stalking seeking justice through the criminal justice system.

“We are pleased to see a commitment to developing a new training model on stalking for prosecutors, as well as training on the psychological impact of trauma, to be developed with independent and specialist stakeholders.  

“It is critical that the voices of the stalking victims we work with remain central to this work. We look forward to ongoing engagement to ensure their continued representation in the review of stalking guidance, policies and procedures.”