The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has today warned that stalking continues to be overlooked as a contributing factor in cases of homicide and suicide, stressing that all cases should be taken seriously.
A new report, ‘Fatal Fixation: Understanding the Link Between Stalking and Homicide’, has showcased significant gaps in how stalking behaviours are recorded and recognised prior to death.
It is the 40th anniversary of the disappearance and presumed murder of Suzy Lamplugh, which established the charity. Emma Lingley-Clark, the Interim Chief Executive Officer said: “Today, we remember those whose lives have been lost to stalking — and call for urgent, systemic change to ensure it is prioritised in line with the risk it poses.
“We know stalking can escalate into fatal fixation, yet across public bodies and agencies it continues to be dangerously underestimated — rather than treated with the urgency it demands.”
The Trust is calling for improved data collection and further research to ensure stalking risk is consistently identified across all case types, reinforcing the importance of recognising patterns of stalking early.
Cases of stalking are increasing with an estimated 5.2 million people in England and Wales experiencing at least one form of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in the year ending March 2025.
A University of Sheffield professor, who preferred not to be named, was stalked in her early 20s, but never discovered the identity of the perpetrator. She said: “ The police at the time did take it seriously. But equally, the rhetoric that I was getting was, don’t worry, they won’t do anything to you, because if they were going to kill you, they would just do it.
“They were like nine times out of ten, this comes to nothing. However there’s been so many women that have lost their lives because of these kinds of incidents, and they’re the one. So we need to speak up for those one 1% of women.”
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, warns that these issues continue to persist across the criminal justice system and the Trust is calling for the government to establish a stalking related death review process to capture crucial learning from stalking related homicides.
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Photo by Suzy Lamplugh Trust.