Policing Stalking - A 'postcode lottery'
An investigation by 成人论坛 Breakfast has found that the majority of police forces in England and Wales don't have an independent stalking advocate in place.
Gracie Spinks made a 101 call to Derbyshire Police in January of 2021. She was reporting her supervisor at work, Michael Sellers, for stalking her. She'd told them he was "obsessed" with her and had followed her outside of work.The force spoke to Mr Sellers, but took no further action. Gracie was murdered by Michael Sellers 4 months after that report was made.
At the inquest into her death, Gracie's parents said the police had displayed "total incompetence". The coroner warned there was a postcode lottery for access to support.
Now -- Gracie's dad Richard and her mum Alison are campaigning for more support for victims of stalking. An investigation by 成人论坛 Breakfast has found that the majority of police forces in England and Wales don't have an independent stalking advocate in place. In this episode of 5 Minutes On, reporter Abi Smitton joins Richard and Alison in visiting Cheshire Police's Harm Reduction Unit to see how they can support victims and rehabilitate offenders.
