Nearly 500 alarm buttons for stalking victims

The stalking alarm is connected to a smartphone via bluetooth. He makes the emergency call, after which the police arrive on the spot in less than ten minutes to bring the victim and possibly children to safety.

Usefulness proven

Not everyone can claim the push button. Victims can report to a specific police department. He is looking at whether the stalking alarm can be useful. There may no longer be any voluntary contact between the victim and the offender, except in the context of contact arrangements for the children.

A pilot project in Ghent has proven its worth in recent years. Forty victims, mostly women between the ages of 30 and 40, received a stalking alert. This resulted in 21 alarm calls and ten arrests.

90% feel safer

The evaluation of the project shows that almost 90 percent of women feel a lot safer with the push button in their pocket. 70 percent of the victims did not report the crime after six months. The small device probably also has a deterrent effect.

In Belgium, the police register more than 20,000 reports of stalking every year, often by ex-partners.

East Flanders also makes alarm buttons available. Other provinces will be added later. The project was presented today by Federal Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld) and Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) in Oudenaarde.