'We need register of stalkers to stop attacks like my daughter's happening'

Campaigners argue that establishing a national public register for convicted stalkers and domestic abusers is essential to prevent serious harm and fatal attacks. The proposal aims to allow individuals to check a potential partner’s history of offending, thereby empowering communities to protect themselves. This system would shift the burden of risk assessment from law enforcement to the public, serving as a deterrent through the stigma of public exposure while ensuring serial offenders are proactively tracked across all police forces. The urgency of this reform is highlighted by tragic cases where warning signs were ignored, such as the murder of Gracie Spinks, where police failed to investigate a stalker with a documented history of targeting female colleagues. Victims and advocates emphasize that current measures like Clare’s Law are insufficient because disclosure is not mandatory. A statutory public register would ensure consistent, legally enforceable information sharing, preventing the systemic incompetence that allows dangerous individuals to continue their patterns of abuse without intervention. This article is highly relevant to open data because it advocates for the responsible publication of criminal records to enhance public safety. It illustrates how structured, accessible datasets—specifically regarding stalking convictions—can create a transparent mechanism for community protection. By promoting the idea of a unified, publicly accessible database managed by national authorities, the article underscores the potential of open government data to bridge gaps in information sharing and empower citizens with critical risk-reduction information.

Source: mirror.co.uk
Published on 2026-11-08

'We need register of stalkers to stop attacks like my daughter's happening'

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