A woman in Bristol says she is living in constant fear of her ex-partner who she claims is now stalking her. Sheila (not her real name) had a casual relationship with a man who lives near to her home but said that since ending the relationship he has turned up at her door, made death threats and followed her in the local area.
She said that she feels unsafe and has made a complaint against Avon and Somerset Police who she feels has failed to protect her, contact witnesses or review CCTV footage in a timely manner. Sheila said that after she was informed that her former partner had a previous conviction involving violence against a woman, she decided to end the relationship.
“I am angry, I am not myself anymore, my life has turned upside down,” she said. Sheila who is now ‘terrified’ of the man she once dated is worried the situation will escalate if the police do not act on her case.
In her complaint to the police she asked them to address why their ‘protection mechanisms’ regarding stalking and harassment had failed. She said: “I reported a death threat and a multitude of derogatory text and voice mail messages.
“It was agreed the matter was serious and urgent. Never had contact or officers sent out. I’ve called to update further threats to ask for help urgently as my stalker/harasser continues to intimidate/threaten me.
“This person is known to you as a repeat violent offender, and it is known he lives 0.3 miles from me and frequents everywhere I go. It’s disgraceful. I’m disabled, vulnerable and you do not care or follow your own risk protocol.”
In response to the complaint, the Police Complaints and Assessment officer replied: “Officers spoke with the victim on the day that they received the report. Currently we are at a high demand level and jobs are being prioritised on the threshold test.
“We take stalking cases very seriously as statistics show that these can develop. The victim has changed her mind several times from wishing to engage and then not.
“Having her engaged and being on board is key to a successful operation and a factor that the Officer in the Case (OIC) hopes for. I have now withdrawn myself away from supervising the investigation but I hope and I will of course help to give the officers time to attend to the victim to take into account if she is willing and to arrest the suspect when possible.”
Sheila told Bristol Live that she was contacted by an officer on one occasion when she was out with friends and in a public space so was unable to talk and did not want to speak without her advocate or notes because she feels anxious when talking to the police. She also said that she was once told to open her car door while on a video call with a police officer, which made her feel unsafe.
Avon and Somerset Police have been approached for a comment.