THE number of prosecutions against stalking crimes in West Mercia reached a record high last year, new figures show.

It comes as the Independent Office for Police Conduct called on police forces to take urgent action to improve the way they handle reports of stalking and deal with victims.

The IOPC report was in response to a so-called super-complaint by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium. It found the police response in many cases was "not good enough and victims were being let down".

The most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice show 62 stalking crimes – including breaches of stalking orders and racially or religiously motivated stalking – were prosecuted against in West Mercia.

It was an increase from 47 prosecutions the year before, and the highest since records began in 2010.

Across England and Wales, there was a record number of prosecutions against stalking offences last year, reaching 3,166. It was a 27% increase on the year before.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust filed a super-complaint, which allows designated bodies to raise widespread issues that could affect public confidence in policing, two years ago about the police response to stalking which has resulted in the IOPC report.

Saskia Garner, head of policy and campaigns at the charity, said the real number of victims is much higher than those that are reported to the police and end in a trial.

She added: "Data shows that for the year ending March 2023, only an equivalent of 1.7% of reports to the police ended in a conviction. This discrepancy is why we submitted a super-complaint against the police in 2022 on behalf of the National Stalking Consortium, highlighting that there are systemic issues in the way police and other criminal justice agencies are handling stalking cases nationally."

Of the prosecutions in West Mercia, 44 resulted in a sentence, including 12 custodial sentences. The average custodial sentence length was 12 months.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "Stalking consumes a victim's world; they are forced to change their daily routines and often are left in fear of their life."

They added the CPS does not "underestimate the devastating impact this has on victims".

"We are continuing to work closely with police to build a picture of a suspect’s manipulative behaviour and actions to present a robust case in court while utilising protective orders to safeguard victims from repeat offending."

The recent Crime Survey for England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics shows around one in seven people aged 16 years and older in England and Wales have been a victim of stalking at least once.

It found women and young people were more likely to be a victim.

Separately, West Mercia Police recorded 11,000 stalking and harassment crimes in the year to March – down from 13,800 the year before.

Police forces across England and Wales recorded a 10% decline in stalking and harassment crimes, with 637,700 in 2023-24. 

Responding to the IOPC report, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: "Behind the findings in this report are heart-breaking testimonies from victims. Stalking is an insidious crime that can leave survivors traumatised."

She added the Government is "actively considering" the recommendations in the report, looking at how it can work with the police to overhaul the response to this crime and "put more perpetrators behind bars".