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COPYRIGHT 2006 The Spectator Ltd. (UK)
'Stalker' has become a joke word in some quarters. A woman who complains of being stalked often means no more than that she is receiving unwanted attention from a former casual lover or perhaps a long-term partner she has just dumped. Some women even refer affectionately to their 'stalkers'.
Real harassment is a serious matter, of course. Under the Protection from Harassment Act (1997) * the law covering stalking * it is recognised that harassment by stalkers can involve the threat of violence. Nobody feels affectionately toward those who threaten them with violence.
But too often the law is being applied absurdly * with the inevitable result that harassment cases are often thrown out.
This year the TV star Michelle Collins was accused of harassment after allegedly being abusive to a woman on the phone.
She was issued with a warning by police and the case wasn't pursued. A few years ago a man was accused of harassment after trying to...
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