The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a separate record of the number of people charged and prosecuted for stalking under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged for harassment using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 does not provide a definitive list of behaviors that would allow for a prosecution for either harassment or stalking and CPS prosecutors determine the most appropriate charges in any given prosecution based on the facts of the case.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Buckland"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-27T17:09:19.207728Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Harassment"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, how many people have been charged to date under sections (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 who could not have been charged using sections (i) 2 and (ii) 4.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/549", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dwyfor Meirionnydd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Elfyn Llwyd"} ], "uin" : "211307"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93079", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93079/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) indicate the number of offences charged, in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates\u2019 court under Section 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (racially or religiously aggravated harassment), rather than identifying the number of defendants prosecuted. It is often the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same victim.<\/p>
<\/p>
The table below shows, in each of the last seven years, the number of offences, charged by way of Section 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (racially or religiously aggravated harassment), and which reached a first hearing at magistrates\u2019 courts, in England and Wales.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
| <\/td> | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 { 32 }<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2007-2008<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 556<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2008-2009<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 527<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2009-2010<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 494<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2010-2011<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 536<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2011-2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 379<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2012-2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 317<\/p><\/td><\/tr> 2013-2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 335<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Data Source: CPS Management Information System<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The last five years have seen a year on year reduction in the overall number of cases referred to the CPS from the police, however the CPS do not hold data related to the number of police referrals of cases in which charges of racially or religiously aggravated harassment would be appropriate.<\/p> <\/p>"}
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, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-21T15:08:19.7268085Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Harassment"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions the CPS has prosecuted cases of racially or religiously aggravated harassment in each of the last seven years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1536", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Emily Thornberry"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Islington South and Finsbury"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Emily Thornberry"}
], "uin" : "210501"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/91881", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Attorney General"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/91881/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) indicate the number of offences charged, in which a prosecution commenced at magistrates\u2019 courts, rather than identifying the number of defendants prosecuted. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 created the offence of harassment and latterly, as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, stalking.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> In each year since 2011-12 the number of offences charged by way of the stalking or harassment offences under the Act is as follows:<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> 2011-2012<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2012-2013<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2013-2014<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Protection from Harassment Act 1997<\/p> { 2A(1) and (4) }<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 72<\/p><\/td> 529<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Protection from Harassment Act 1997<\/p> { 4A(1)(a)(b)(i) and (5) }<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 9<\/p><\/td> 65<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Protection from Harassment Act 1997<\/p> { 4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) and (5) }<\/p><\/td> 0<\/p><\/td> 10<\/p><\/td> 149<\/p><\/td><\/tr> TOTAL - STALKING OFFENCES<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 0<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 91<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 743<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Protection from Harassment Act 1997<\/p> { 2(1) and (2) }<\/p><\/td> 7,713<\/p><\/td> 7,159<\/p><\/td> 8,303<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Protection from Harassment Act 1997<\/p> { 4(1) and (4) }<\/p><\/td> 1,632<\/p><\/td> 1,398<\/p><\/td> 1,489<\/p><\/td><\/tr> TOTAL - HARASSMENT OFFENCES<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 9,345<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 8,557<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 9,792<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> TOTAL S2, S2A, S4 & S4A PHA <\/strong><\/p> 1997 OFFENCES<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 9,345<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 8,648<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 10,535<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> There is no indication of the number of individual defendants prosecuted for these offences or the final outcome of the prosecution proceeding or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at the time of finalisation. It is often the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same victim.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Buckland"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-14T09:59:21.3453786Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-09-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Harassment"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Attorney General, how many stalking and harassment cases were recorded in each year since 2011.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4050", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Gordon Henderson"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sittingbourne and Sheppey"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Gordon Henderson"}
], "uin" : "209434"}
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|