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Lowenna Waters
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Earlier this week, UK women's network Broadly launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness around stalking, called Unfollow Me.
In an exclusive report, they showed that between 2015-2017, 49 women in the UK were killed by men they'd previously reported to the police.
Taking to Twitter, UK Broadly editor Zing Tsjeng wrote:
Over the last three years, 49 women in the UK were killed by their abusive partner, ex or stalker even though they… https://t.co/9X3q3nuN8O— Zing Tsjeng (@Zing Tsjeng) 1532339810
Broadly also posted a video about Alice Ruggles, a 24-year-old woman who was murdered by an ex-boyfriend who stalked her, despite reporting him to the police twice before her death.
Alice Ruggles was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, despite reporting him to the police twice before her death. We met… https://t.co/A4dMGwXJMg— VICE Life (@VICE Life) 1532356682
Following the drive, women have been sharing their terrifying ordeals at the hands of stalkers.
Some corroborated the statement that women have been ignored by police when sharing their experiences of stalking.
Another explained how they didn't take their stalker seriously to begin with, until things escalated.
i didnt take my stalker seriously in college and excused some of his behavior (like getting caught smelling my hair… https://t.co/iRiwPy7Kvt— sara david (@sara david) 1532439786
i didnt take my stalker seriously in college and excused some of his behavior (like getting caught smelling my hair… https://t.co/iRiwPy7Kvt— sara david (@sara david) 1532439786
some things stalkers do that don't always seem like immediate red flags: -sending unwanted gifts, letters, or card… https://t.co/u7UZ90znhp— sara david (@sara david) 1532439526
Others were too worried to share their experiences of being stalked, in case it encouraged their stalkers.
I can't share my stalker story. If I talk about him he might see it and think it's an invitation to find me again. #unfollowme— Lesley Handel (@Lesley Handel) 1532458640
Another shared her terrifying alleged ordeal in a string of tweets.
I'm going to share about one of my stalkers in a comment thread. That wasn't a typo. I said ONE of my stalkers. Lik… https://t.co/40UsdPoEOJ— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532457658
I was 21, living alone. One day, a dude walks up to me in the Student Union and says awkwardly flirty shit like "I… https://t.co/pOSVwYGHwd— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532457799
2/ He somehow managed to run into me everywhere, and always the good girl, I agreed to be his friend--against my in… https://t.co/mgNQxtlapR— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532457889
3/ He apologized and promised to back off, but that was a lie. He pushed, I refused and told him I'd cut him out of… https://t.co/OerYC7pobZ— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532457984
4/ Eventually, I'd had enough and told him to fuck right off. He started calling me from the pay phone down the str… https://t.co/YX7UAFhqHb— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458055
I kept my windows covered. Kept my doors locked. Let the answering machine pick up all calls. Changed my answering… https://t.co/KoueyWilrn— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458210
6/ screaming that I was avoiding him. Some messages were saccharine. Inviting me to go to his family's cabin in ano… https://t.co/UObt2jqXj5— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458336
7/ One night, my best friend knocked on the door in his distinctive knock, so I didn't check the peephole. Stalker… https://t.co/Q3dpho89tZ— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458405
8/ Told me he was taking me to his cabin, either in the passenger seat or in the trunk. Told me I needed to relax.… https://t.co/suQg6JITzy— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458499
9/ All the rage of 21 years of being pushed around flowed out of me. I told him to pull the trigger because I'd nev… https://t.co/1f8GfOpoiY— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458573
10/ Kicked the fucker out of my apartment. He cried it was a misunderstanding and he was sorry. Begged to stay. I t… https://t.co/SXNJ6uRflW— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458661
11/ Six months later, I ran into him in my apt. parking lot. He apologized and gave me a stuffed animal. I told him… https://t.co/eFgno1shH6— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458738
12/ Never heard from him again, though I still can't handle having doors unlocked or windows uncovered. This was ov… https://t.co/AtaIbFXVZP— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532458809
13/13 Twenty some odd years later, and I still shake when I share that story. I could have died. I don't know why I didn't. Lucky, I guess.— Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL (@Dannie M Olguin🏳️🌈 Preorder BETWEEN SAFE & REAL) 1532459003
Others said the most upsetting part of their ordeal is that there's nothing stopping their stalkers doing the same to another woman.
The campaign aims to highlight the reality that often women aren't believed by the police when they report stalking, or they're not taken seriously. It also aims to encourage women to take decisive action towards introducing a stalking register to track dangerous offenders, and to help to prevent them from offending again.
If you want to help, support the call from @paladinservice to introduce a Stalkers Register that will help track da… https://t.co/Tq5gElYrlA— Zing Tsjeng (@Zing Tsjeng) 1532341176
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