Harassment...where can you get help?
Former Tory Parliamentary candidate for Watford Ian Oakley has been given a 18-week suspended sentence, a 12-month supervision order and a £650 fine for the two year hate campaign he waged against two of his Liberal Democrat rivals.
Oakley admitted to slashing tyres, sending hate mail, making silent phone calls and damaging property. They're now thought of as the more traditional modes of harassment.
But with more gadgets at our disposal, there are fears that the internet and other forms of technology, can make it even easier for people to stalk, abuse and harrass.
Justin Rowlatt met Michael Bulling who was terrorised by a gang which bragged about the crimes they committed on the social networking site Bebo.
If you're a victim of harassment or bullying there are simple steps you can take:
Speak out
Places to contact include the 24-hour helpline the Stop Hate Line: 0800 138 1625 they can tell you where your local Hate Incident Reporting Centre is. Also, Victim Support have a phoneline you can call: 0845 303 0900.
Log calls/texts
If you're being bullied through texts or phone calls, save messages and call records if you have space in your phone. If not, write down the time of the call/text, what was said/written and the caller/sender's number if you have it. And whatever you do, don't reply to any texts - it's just what the bully wants.
Keep a diary
By diarising everything, you won't miss out any detail and it will help show you're telling the truth.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~59~RS~)
Comments
Are you aware the criminals are protected by the DATA Protection Act? Amazing but true. We have a 69 year old member stalked and harassed by cyber stalker yet that stalker is protected by the DATA Protection Act - AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU OVER STAY IN TE CAR PARK FOR £2.50 TO THE DVLA THE OWNERS CAN OBTAIN YOUR NAME ADDRESS AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION. The local police refuse to deal with cyber crime and in meeting government tragets to reduce recorded crime refuse to record it.
______________________________
9th September 2008
Case Reference Number ENQ0208795
Dear Mr******
Thank you for your further email asking for an urgent change in the Data Protection Act 1998 to allow you access to the identity of the person believed to be stalking you.
The Data Protection Act 1998 can only be changed by Parliament as such we can not make the amendment to the law you are requiring. It would be advisable to contact your MP to lobby for this change in the law.
In your first email to the Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO) you stated that the information could be released to either the ICO or a law enforcement officer. As the ICO would not be able to release the identity of the person to you as previously stated, as you believe a criminal offence is being committed the Police are the appropriate organisation to deal with matters of this nature and as they have stated they will release the identity to the police that would seem the ideal avenue to go down.
I appreciate that this is not the response that you are want; however, the Data Protection Act 1998 does not oblige this information to be released to you.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Holl
Case Reception Unit
The Information Commissioner’s Office .
__________________________________
Soldier, Sailor Airman, Royal Marines Commando Association
http://soldiersailorairmanroyalmarinescommando.co.uk/default.aspx
ssarmca@soldiersailorairmanroyalmarinescommando.co.uk
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Oh my God! What next - a Jill Dando
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To many people, especially women, are using the harassment act as a means of getting backat people who they consider, in their own little world, to have offended them.
I have been prosecuted for harassement after I terminated my relationship with a female after she did something very silly (she posed for porn photos whilst I was trying to help her fight a custody battle for her son on the grounds that she was a good upstanding member of the community), walked out on her taking my financial and physical support with me.
Her ex being a police officer, I ended up giving evidence against her, for which she raised a charge of harassement in an attempt to discredit me and prevent me from giving such evidence.
The case was held in open court, so I am at liberty to talk about it. The court ruled that meeting her ex (who I already knew, and was a friend of my family) on more than two occasions and giving evidence against her constituted harasement.
But then such points of view do not fit in with the one-show pro-female slant on things would it!!
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Ahhh! To listen to the ramblings of a man who both describes his personal business on the internet and fails to distinguish the appropriate usage of the words "to" and "too"!
Harassment is a serious issue and people should feel confident to speak out without fear of being judged to be mere trivial women as the last poster would have us believe.
I urge people to report crimes against them without fear.
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