Richard Christie KC spoke yesterday on a panel at the Tech Abuse Conference 2026, hosted by the UCL Gender and Tech Research Lab, focusing on stalking. This is an area of the law where the gap between victim experience and proper investigation, prevention and sentencing remains stark. Richard spoke about how the victim experience could be improved both in terms of investigation and the likely effects on sentencing as a result of the Sentencing Act 2026 and the Crime and Policing Act 2026.
The audience heard from Jodie Morrow whose story has featured on BBC Woman’s Hour and the Belfast Telegraph. They also heard from Em Clarkson who has been a victim of cyberstalking due to her career which means she is known to many thousands of people. These accounts brought into sharp focus the reality of stalking as a sustained pattern of control, fear and persistence, particularly in the context of emerging technology.
