10 Why stalking must be taken more seriously

How did the UK’s most prolific cyberstalker evade justice for years, asks Sirin Kale?

WHEN I STUMBLED across the Matthew Hardy story, at first I couldn’t believe it. How could one man stalk British women for more than a decade, seemingly escaping justice each time? Sixty three people reported more than 100 incidents to just one police force in the UK alone, and… nothing. Hardy, now 31, would be questioned, even arrested, but usually released without charge. Restraining orders didn’t stop him. One police officer told me that when Hardy was arrested in 2019, the first thing he did when officers let him go was buy a new phone - allowing him to stalk more victims. Some of the things he did were truly shocking. On one occasion, he attempted to break up a couple’s wedding day by spreading rumours that the bride was…

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Grazia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 840

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