Stronger stalking laws to better protect South Australians

Comprehensive reforms to South Australia’s stalking laws aimed at better protecting the community will be introduced to State Parliament today.

The reforms will clarify the types of ‘cyberstalking’ behaviour covered by the offence, including to cover impersonation of others online in a way that’s designed to cause apprehension or fear.

In addition, there are now comprehensive provisions to cover stalking and harassment via the internet, social media, other forms of electronic communication or in person and to cover the use of tracking devices to monitor someone’s location.

The proposed reforms would also reduce the threshold for criminal offending.

They will remove a provision that required the prosecution to prove that a stalker intended to cause ‘serious’ physical or mental harm by removing the ‘serious’ element. Instead, the offence would cover any intent to cause physical or mental harm.

Further, the proposed reforms will ensure the offence will apply even if the stalker did not specifically intend to cause harm or fear, if they should reasonably have known that the conduct would be likely to cause harm or fear.

Quotes

Attributable to Kyam Maher 

Stalking and harassment has no place in our society.

It’s an evil act that is designed to threaten and intimidate others and needs to be tackled head on.

These changes to the law will make it easier for authorities to act and hold perpetrators to account.

The expansions also help to better, more comprehensively cover existing forms of technology and those that may be developed in future.

It’s a practical form of action to better protect South Australians, including those who experience situations of family or domestic abuse.