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CPS Stalking Action Plan 2026-2030

Stalking is a harmful and distressing offence with significant psychological, emotional, and physical impacts on victims. This Action Plan outlines the activity the Crown Prosecution Service is undertaking to effectively respond to this offending for all victims of stalking. It sets out a structured programme of work designed to improve the quality, consistency, and victim focused nature of CPS responses, alongside strengthening cross agency collaboration and improving public understanding of the CPS’s approach.

Our AimActivityOutcome
We effectively respond to the complex and evolving nature of stalking
  1. We will devise and rollout a new training module on stalking for prosecutors. This will be developed with stakeholders, including a specialist independent organisation that supports victims of stalking, and will incorporate the findings flowing from the super complaint.
  2. Review and update guidance reflecting the expansion of offending in this area (including cyberstalking and online activity) and developments in protective orders, incorporating stakeholder feedback.
  3. Develop induction material for newly appointed Stalking Area Leads, including introducing an updated role descriptor. 
Our people are enabled to work effectively
We develop and articulate clear case strategies that are suspect-centric, victim-focussed, and trauma-informed within casework
  1. Work with specialist organisations and experts on the psychological impact of trauma to develop new training on trauma for all prosecutors.
  2. Review and update stalking guidance using Stakeholder expertise to embed learning on the suspect-centric approach, learning from the recent super complaint into stalking and the London Victim’s Commissioner’s Review of stalking.
  3. Work with the police, to develop a process to ensure the Crown Prosecution Service and policing maximise opportunities to share examples of good work relating to behaviour driven offending understanding the complexities that surround this type of offending. 
Our people apply high legal standards
We work effectively with our criminal justice partners
  1. Engage with cross-government partners to inform the Independent Review of Current Stalking Legislation, ensuring that it is informed by operational insights
  2. Review and update the NPCC/CPS joint protocol on Stalking and Harassment to improve and strengthen our response, reflecting the changing nature of offending and support investigators and prosecutors to build strong cases from the outset
  3. Work with NPCC, Home Office, and the Stalking Consortium to assess the feasibility of a 2026 Multi-Agency Conference involving CPS, Police, academics, and third sector groups to promote best practices and awareness.
We promote and support a CJS that is collaborative
Our work is strengthened through an increased understanding of the impact of stalking on different groups
  1. Work with partners to ensure products, guidance and policies promote the understanding of intersectionality and application of intersectional approaches
  2. Explore how a specific policy statement for children and young people could help them recognising the behaviours they encounter or display
  3. Together with stakeholders, hold an annual national scrutiny panel on stalking, harassment and coercive control cases to provide a collaborative forum for consideration, discussion, action, and learning, helping to develop best practice.
We are fair in how we approach our work
Victims are better informed about and supported through the criminal justice process
  1. Review and develop the stalking webpages on the Crown Prosecution Service website to provide accessible information, in clear and simple language
  2. Embed the principles set out in the Statutory Guidance for Independent Stalking Advisors and Caseworks within our ways of working to maximise the support we can provide victims.
Victims and witnesses experience a supportive service
Policy and practice are informed by engagement and scrutiny
  1. Refresh the membership of the national VAWG External Consultation Group, to ensure it is inclusive of stalking specialist support organisations
  2. Create a robust feedback mechanism ensure insights from CPS Areas strengthens CPS policy and practice
  3. Utilise the CPS’ Stalking Area Leads network to capture and disseminate good practice on the handing of stalking offences, particularly where this relates to multi-agency working.
Our approach by the professional expertise and lived experiences of the people we serve
Key metrics and outcomes are publicly available, reported on, and owned at all levels for a full range of VAWG offences
  1. Explore the use of auto-flagging in some VAWG cases to improve the accuracy of flagging
  2. Following the introduction of a CPS stalking flag consider how we can use data to help the public better understand our approach to stalking cases.
The public understand what we do