Ruth Money: Chief Victims' Adviser to the Government on the stronger anti-stalking laws

Assurance stronger anti-stalking laws are the right move to protect victims. 

Originally proposals on making it an offence had a maximum penalty of five years in prison, capturing three specified acts within one-year.  

But following the Select Committee process it'll now be triggered after two acts within two years. 

Chief Victims' Adviser to the Government Ruth Money told Mike Hosking the change allows greater prevention and targets the pattern stalking follows. 

She says it's not about charging the moping boyfriend, who's sent a non-harmful text and is feeling a bit sad. 

Money says it’s important earlier intervention can be taken, and police need the powers because stalking behaviour can escalate into violence and death. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There's new anti stalking laws coming. That was the sound

(00:02):
by the way of the report. Let me just do
that again for you. No, no, no, don't do it on
that console.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
You'll break it.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Yeah, that's a little bit of a bounce. It actually bounced.
There are new anti stalking laws coming and they've been
changed up considerably because of the Select Committee process. Now
the new law is going to be triggered after two
specified acts within twenty four months. Originally it was three
within twelve. Now the definitions have also been adjusted as well.
Ruth Money as the Chief Victim's Advisor to Government and

(00:29):
is with us. Ruth, morning to you, good morning, and
reading this yesterday, I was quite inspired by the Select
Committee process because I've been a bit down on it.
You know, it's just like people sit around and going
and nothing happened. So clearly at times change does come
as a result of the Select Committee. Because this seems
fairly substantive.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I have to say I agree with you. Yes, you know,
all too often I have set in front of Select
committees with people who have got the most durable lived
experience begging politicians please listen to me, let's change this.
You've got your opportunity to change this to protect us.
This is my experience, and then a report comes out
and you go, what were you even in the room?

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Yeah, exactly. So two and twenty four I thought it
was interesting about because I don't know much much about this,
But two and twenty four was based on anniversaries and birthdays.
So in other words, if you're chasing somebody or stalking somebody,
it's an event day that often triggers it. So three
and twelve was in theory fine, but two and twenty
four makes more sense. Do you agree with that?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, I don't agree. Three and twelve was ever fine,
and I was very vehemently opposed. Shall we say to that?
Two in twenty four makes a lot more sense, and
I am super happy with where we've lended. I mean,
the devil is always going to be with how we
implement that, which, of course, with any act, that's what's
going to happen now, So that will be police training,

(01:48):
there'll be specialist services to make sure that everybody is
acting appropriately.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Well, that was the next thing I was worried about,
because prescription and law is not necessary reality on the street.
So when you ring the police and say here's the
bloke outside my letterbox. Does it get acted on no
matter what the law says.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Well, it should, and obviously that the police need to
work through their implementation. That's certainly the intent of the law.
But what the intent of the law is not to
do is just to intervene and arrest the crying boyfriend,
for example, who has just sent a not so harmful
text where he, I'm completely generalizing, is moping and is

(02:29):
a bit sad. What this is about, you know, stalking
is a pervasive behavior and it's a pattern of behavior
that is inciting fear. So what this two and twenty
four does is allow the police to warn the person
that their behavior is not appropriate. Now, obviously we also
need to work with the victim on that because in

(02:50):
some cases warning an offender, for example with interpersonal violence,
will just escalate and make things more awkward and dangerous
for the victim. Will be done with science and evidence
to make sure that those who are dangerous stalkers. And
let's not forget that this behavior escalates, right, we have
seen this escalate into use is a fear, a campaign

(03:13):
of fear. But then there is violence, and unfortunately we
have got cases of death. So we need to make
sure that the police have got the powers to stop
this behavior and prevent victim good.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
All right, well let's hope it's on the right track.
We'll last Mark and cover it off with the police
Minister after. I appreciate your time. As always, there Ruth Money,
who's the Chief Victim's Advisor in government. For more from
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