CPS Response to HMCPSI Report ‘An examination of cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service included in the London Stalking Review 2024 - A review of the cases that featured in the London Stalking Review published 23 July 2024’
His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) have today published a report following review of a sample of cases considered within the London Victims’ Commissioner’s report ‘Stalking in London a deep dive - MOPAC Evidence & Insight’.
CPS Response
The CPS welcomes the Inspectorate’s assessment of the quality of legal decision making in the available cases referred to the CPS from the London Stalking Review and the announcement that they will conduct a thematic inspection of the CPS’ handling of stalking offences as part of their 2025 programme of work.
The CPS regularly reviews its policy and practice to ensure that prosecutors are properly equipped to deal with stalking cases. In April 2023, the CPS published revised prosecution guidance on stalking or harassment, which focuses on identifying patterns of offending behaviour and helps prosecutors to better recognise and select the appropriate charge. All cases considered within this report pre-date this revision.
By January 2025, further updates will be made to the guidance on restraining orders to emphasise that prosecutors must consider breaches of orders within the wider context of offending and, where new offences or courses of conduct are present, that they are charged in addition to breaches.
The findings from the overall report echo our recognition that better joint working between police and CPS improves outcomes for victims, including for victims of stalking. In November 2024, the CPS and NPCC published the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan (DA JJP) which prioritises improving the recognition and identification of behaviour-driven offending. The DA JJP applies to domestic and non-domestic stalking, and it is captured within the plan as high-harm, high-risk repeat offending. Work has already commenced to develop a shared definition of this term, and to update the police and CPS joint protocol on the appropriate handling of stalking or harassment offences. Informed by operational insights from police and CPS Stalking Leads, this will help to ensure police and prosecutors are better equipped to identify and handle stalking and to appropriately recognise risk.