Online stalking victims will have right to know who is trolling them under plans by Labour
ONLINE stalking victims will have a right to know who is trolling them under plans being drawn up by Labour.
Protection for millions of targeted women is being drawn up to help unmask anonymous web identities.
It comes ahead of Labour’s annual conference, which begins in Liverpool today.
The party is under pressure to unveil fresh policy ideas, and to set out what Sir Keir Starmer stands for.
Figures reveal one in five women in England and Wales has been a stalking victim.
Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry will use her speech on Tuesday to launch the “war on stalkers”.
She will say that “no woman should have to wait until she is attacked to get protection”.
Ministers have introduced Stalking Protection Orders but Labour say that, in 2021, only 583 were granted.
The party has also taken on ex-Corrie star and TalkTV breakfast host Nicola Thorp as an adviser on harassment.
She was subjected to a two-year web ordeal, and said: “While I’m grateful for the police work that led to my stalker’s arrest, their refusal to reveal his identity left me vulnerable and fearful.”
She said: “I give my full support to the work Emily is doing to improve the rights of stalking victims and to increase conviction rates.”
Ms Thornberry said she will review the laws “through the eyes of women”.
She said: “It is 200 times more likely for a woman to be a stalking victim than it is for her stalker to end up in prison.
She added it was time to develop “the right for women to know” the identity of their online stalkers.
There are also plans to end the practice of stalkers who bring vexatious claims against victims through the civil and family courts.