News type:
News

News topic:
Intimidatory offences and Research and analysis

Published on:

28 May 2025

The Council has published an evaluation of the intimidatory offences definitive guidelines that came into effect on 1 October 2018 and cover:

  • a combined guideline covering the offences of harassment, stalking and racially or religiously aggravated harassment/stalking
  • a combined guideline covering the offences of harassment (putting people in fear of violence), stalking (involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress), and racially or religiously aggravated harassment (putting people in fear of violence)/stalking (involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress)
  • threats to kill
  • disclosing private sexual images
  • controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship

We have also published the data collected at magistrates’ courts on harassment and stalking before and after the definitive guidelines came into effect and that were drawn on as part of the evaluation.