Stalkers grew more obsessive during lockdown – leaving victims feeling trapped | UK News

Stalkers became more and more obsessive during the lockdown and targeted victims with greater intensity and frequency, suggests a new study.

Some perpetrators have used their daily exercise to monitor their victims and half of those polled said they had faced an increase in online harassment, according to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust report.

The chief executive of the trust, Suky Bhaker, called the impact on the victims “absolutely devastating”.

She said: “They felt trapped at home without the normal means of support and secondly we know that their access to other support services from statutory services such as the police has been quite unsatisfactory. . “

According to the Unmasking Stalking report, some victims believed the monotony of the lockdown led their stalkers to become more obsessed while being able to hide their identities behind a mask.

And half of those polled said the impact of harassment on their mental health had worsened due to the pandemic.

For “Wendy,” who wants to protect her identity, the lockdown meant her stalker was around more than ever.

Three years ago, she fired him as a man at odd job in her restaurant because of his erratic behavior.

That’s when the trouble started – first with broken windows, dog damage thrown at his car, and slanderous posters hanging on the walls. Then came the threats.

She said: “I received three messages saying that we know where you live and that we are going to kill you and your daughter, and it was absolutely terrifying. That’s when I realized it wasn’t harassment, it was harassment.

“He was someone who was so obsessed with me that they didn’t care how long they went and it wasn’t just to hurt me, it was to get my attention.”

Wendy managed to get a Stalk Protection Order to keep him away after …