Stalkers (BBC1)
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Inside The Factory (BBC2)
Rating:
More than half the murders of women in the UK begin with stalking. The killers, often former partners, bombard their victims with intimidating messages before the crimes escalate.
As she followed the work of a helpline in Portsmouth and a specialist police unit in Stalkers (BBC1), Stacey Dooley learned that one in five women have been subjected to stalking — as have one in ten men.
Katie dated a personal trainer from her gym for five months before she dumped him when she discovered he was being unfaithful. His twisted revenge included beating himself up and reporting her to the police for assault.
He was eventually sentenced to two years in prison, but was able to apply for parole after serving less than half his sentence. Though his request was denied, the police could offer Katie no assurances.
They advised her to pack a suitcase with essentials, in case she needed to flee her home. They also asked her to keep a log of every time her abuser made contact — which sounds as though she was expected to assist in the investigation of her own future murder.
Stacey could have pressed the police harder to find out why forces don't take the crime more seriously. She set up no difficult questions, let alone confrontations with chief constables or other senior officers.
As she followed the work of a helpline in Portsmouth and a specialist police unit in Stalkers (BBC1), Stacey Dooley (pictured in Stalkers) learned that one in five women have been subjected to stalking — as have one in ten men
One woman after another came forward to say she and her family had suffered endless psychological torment and manipulation. Yet the offenders were able to continue with their campaigns of fear for years before the
