Women in Sport and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust release joint statement on the potential stalking behaviours experienced by Emma Raducanu
Published
During her match at the Dubai Tennis Championships on 18th February, Emma Raducanu spotted a potential stalker in the crowd, a man who had handed her a letter earlier in the week and was described as being ‘fixated’ on her. We understand that Emma had reported this man to event organisers, but that he had still been able to find his way into the stands. If this is the case, it is totally unacceptable.
While we’re aware that the Lawn Tennis Association will be supporting Emma, Women in Sport and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust are coming together to urge more action to be taken to raise awareness of stalking and prevent these incidents from occurring across sport and society more broadly.
Stalking is a devastating and prevalent crime with far too many women both inside and outside sport suffering from the fear and anxiety of stalking. One in five women experience stalking in their lifetime. It is imperative that stalking is taken seriously and that a zero-tolerance approach is adopted in order to support victims and highlight the associated risks.
More action is also needed to protect women and girls from all forms of abuse in the sporting environment. Women should feel safe in every sport at every level. For this to happen, women must know they are safe to express concerns, that they will be believed, and that the right action will be taken. Elite sportswomen should be able to focus on their performance without such threats and should be protected and supported when they raise concerns about potential stalking behaviours, whether these occur in person or online.
The Government must wake up to this reality and put in measures, such as a National Tackling Stalking Plan and an Independent Regulator for Sport, to protect and safeguard women and girls, to allow them to experience the joy, community and thrill of sport, without constantly looking over their shoulder in fear.
We would encourage anyone who is concerned about stalking behaviours to contact the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300 or use the online ‘Am I Being Stalked’ tool for support.