Being Directed To Specialist Organisationsthat Can Help Them Meet Their Immediate And Long
Specialist organisations can be central inwomens journey to heal and recover from this traumatic experience. They canalso help them to increase any safety measures that the police may have already put inplace, like creating a safety plan if the woman fears that the abuse mightescalate and put her life in danger.
We understand that reporting to the policeand navigating the justice system is never an easy experience. Yet, feeling supportedand informed throughout this process can make a huge difference for thevictims/survivors and it can ultimately give them enough confidence and trust to comeforward and seek justice.
Who Is Eligible For An Order For Protection
You may obtain an OFP if you have recently been a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence is defined as any act of abuse, including pushing, shoving, grabbing, slapping, punching, pulling hair, kicking, forcing sexual acts, or threatening imminent physical harm or bodily injury. You are eligible if you and the person who has abused you:
- are married or used to be married
- are parent and child
- live together or used to live together
- have a child in common
- are related by blood
- are involved in a significant romantic or sexual relationship
For Information And Guidance On A Cyber Incident Please Select From The Topics Below
Ransomware, other cybercrime, fraud and scams
Cybercrime includes criminal activities where the Internet and digital technologies, such as computers and mobile phones, are key to committing the crime. Examples include ransomware, data breaches and other cyber intrusions. Many types of fraud are also committed online, such as phishing and online scams.
The RCMP recommends any victim of a cybercrime, fraud or scam contact their local police. It is also recommended, whether you are a victim or not, to report using the National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System.
Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website for more information on fraud and scams affecting Canadians.
Spam
You can report unsolicited emails and text messages to the Spam Reporting Centre. For more information and to report spam visit Canadas anti-spam legislation website.
Social media
To report abusive behaviour, such as harassment, cyberbullying, threats, and impersonation, or other incidents that occur on social media, contact the social media provider directly through their help centre.
Child exploitation
To report the online sexual exploitation of a child, such as child sexual abuse content, child pornography, child trafficking, or the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, call the Canadian Centre for Child Protections toll-free number at or visit their online tip website.
If you know about a child who is in immediate danger or risk, call 911 or your local police.
- Date modified:
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Secretary Of State’s Certificate
In order to protect the activities of the security forces, and those investigating serious crime, under section 12, the Secretary of State may issue a certificate to the effect that the behaviour complained of was done in relation to:
- national security
- the economic well-being of the United Kingdom or
- the prevention or detection of serious crime.
Such a certificate is conclusive evidence that the PHA does not apply to the conduct of a person on a specified occasion. This will prevent surveillance targets from taking out private prosecutions in order to expose those keeping surveillance, should such prosecutions get as far as trial without being taken over and discontinued by the CPS. It is hard to envisage circumstances where a prosecution resulting from a police charge will result in the need for such a certificate.
As certificates are issued by the Secretary of State, they can be expected to relate only to high level operations concerning terrorism or very serious crime. It is not thought likely that such certificates will be issued in relation to the activities of specialist police units.
Crime And Disorder Act 1998
Prosecutors should note that there may be cases of stalking and harassment which may be linked with racial or religious hatred.
Section 2A and 4A Stalking offences which are also racially and religiously aggravated are covered under Part 11 of Schedule 9 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Prosecutors should consider Section 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which provides for two racially or religiously aggravated harassment offences, provided the racial or religious aggravation test in section 28 of the CDA 1998 Acts met.
Under section 32of the CDA 1998, a person is guilty of an offence under this section if he commits-
a) an offence under s2 or s2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 or
b) an offence under s4 or s4A of that Act , which is racially aggravated for the purposes of this section.
Under section 32 of the CDA 1998, if, on the trial on indictment of a person charged with an offence falling within subsection , the jury find him not guilty of the offence charged they may find him guilty of either basic offence mentioned in that provision.
Under 32 CDA 1998 if, on the trial on indictment of a person charged with an offence falling within subsection , the jury find him not guilty of the offence charged, they may find him guilty of an offence falling within subsection .
More information is available in the Legal Guidance on Racist and Religious Crime.
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Advicenever Answer In Affect
Never answer in affect. Don’t answer the person who is attacking you by attacking them back. Just ask them to stop. A lot of the time you don’t want to answer at all, which is more than understandable. But to file a police report, it can be important that you can prove that you asked the person to stop, even when it comes to sexual harassment.
How To Deal With Harassment On Facebook
Did you know that, according to Statista, 77% of online harassment victims reported that they had been harassed via Facebook? If you find yourself in this situation, here are :
- Unfriend the abuser
- Block the person
- Report the person or their abusive posts
In case the offender starts bothering you in messages on Facebook, there are a few steps specific to that situation that you should take, including the following:
- Block messages from that person
- Report the threatening message
- Click on Ignore Messages
- Delete the conversation
If you decide to delete the conversation, dont forget to take a screenshot first so that you have proof of harassment for future use if need be.
Another useful thing you can do on Facebook is report harassment even if youre not the victim, but your friend is.
Facebook gives you an option to report posts that show hate speech, violence or harmful behavior, or sexually explicit content.
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What Are The Consequences Of Cyber Crime
It is really important to know how to report cyber crime as the consequences of cyber crime are borne by the victim.
How To File A Cyber Crime Complaint Online
The online portal where a victim can file a cyber crime complaint is https://cyber crime.gov.in/Accept.aspx, an initiative of Government of India that caters to complaints pertaining to the online Child Pornography , Child Sexual Abuse Material or sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape content and other cyber crimes such as social media crimes, online financial frauds, ransomware, hacking, cryptocurrency crimes, and online cyber trafficking. The portal also provides an option of reporting an anonymous complaint about reporting Child Pornography or sexually explicit content such as Rape/Gang Rape content. One can follow below-mentioned steps to report a cyber crime online
STEP 1: Go to https://cyber crime.gov.in/Accept.aspx
STEP 2: Click on Report other cyber crimes on the menu.
STEP 3: Click on File a Complaint.
STEP 4: Read the conditions and accept them.
STEP 5: Register your mobile number and fill in your name and State.
STEP 6: Fill in the relevant details about the offence.
Note: You can also report the offence anonymously.
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How To Report Cyber Crime
This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow’s legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 21,149 times.
While there isn’t a universal definition of cybercrime, you can think of it as any criminal activity that takes place on the internet, or criminals using the internet to facilitate their criminal activity. This includes everything from fraud and identity theft to child exploitation and terrorism. Generally, report evidence of possible cybercrime to local, national, or international law enforcement, depending on the scope of the crime.XTrustworthy SourceUnited States Department of JusticeOfficial website of the U.S. Department of JusticeGo to source If you’re unsure of the scope, start local and move up from there.
What Is Cyberstalking And How Can You Protect Yourself From It
The Internet has undergone exponential growth in the last few decades, and it is accessible in every part of the world. Despite its contribution to education and worldwide communication, the Internet has opened new doors for criminal opportunities, as well.
Cyberstalking requires time and planning. The Internet provides a safe haven for offenders, who can hide behind false names and profiles and pretend to be someone else.
According to the report from Ipsos from 2018, 75% of people in the U.S. are aware of cyberstalking. Although the percentage appears to be high, one-quarter of adults have never heard of it.
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Australian Cyber Security Centre
The Australian Cyber Security Centre is the Australian Federal Government initiative for improving cyber security. You can use their ReportCyber online tool to report cyber crime . It can refer your report to the most relevant law enforcement or government agencies for investigation.
You can use ReportCyber to report types of crime such as:
- identify theft
- online scams such as dating and romance scams, threats or extortion for money
- attacks or hacking of computer systems.
Breach Of A Restraining Order
Sections 3 and 5 make it an offence for the defendant to do anything which he is prohibited from doing under an injunction issued under section 3, or a restraining order issued under section 5.
It should be noted that whereas the section 2 and 4 offences require a course of conduct, breaches of court orders require only a single act.
Defence to Breach of Criminal or Civil Order
The sole defence to a breach of a criminal or a civil order is that the defendant had a reasonable excuse. The standard of proof, which it is for the defendant to put forward, is the balance of probabilities.
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What To Know Before Involving Law Enforcement
Involving law enforcement in online harassment can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially for writers who have never visited their local precinct or filed a police report. It can help to have a trusted loved one by your side if you end up going to your precinct in person, or if the police decide to send an officer to your home to take a statement. Whether you go to the police or they come to you, be aware that you may be asked to present documentation of your online harassment and/or to answer a series of interview questions with as much detail as possible.
Filing a police report does not always result in helpful action, unfortunately. There are various reasons for this. Sometimes a hateful online message falls within the realm of protected speech, and the law doesnt apply. Sometimes a local precinct has not been adequately trained to respond to cyberattacksan area of policing that continues to evolve. Sometimes the police officer handling your case may be unfamiliar with the online platforms where the harassment occurred. We do not share this information to disparage members of law enforcement, but rather to acknowledge that police response to online harassment still has a long way to go, and to alert you to certain realities you might encounter when turning to the police for help.
There is hope that as online harassment continues to gain recognition as a serious, well-documented phenomenon, law enforcement agencies will catch up.
Report Cyberbullying To Law Enforcement
When cyberbullying involves these activities it is considered a crime and should be reported to law enforcement:
- Threats of violence
- Child pornography or sending sexually explicit messages or photos
- Taking a photo or video of someone in a place where he or she would expect privacy
- Stalking and hate crimes
Some states consider other forms of cyberbullying criminal. Consult your states laws and law enforcement for additional guidance.
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What Is An Order For Protection
An Order for Protection is a special kind of restraining order for victims of domestic abuse. It may direct the stalker to:
- stop stalking you
- stay away from where you live, go to school, or work
- leave your household
An OFP may also award temporary custody, child support, or use and possession of property.
Who Is Behind Cyber Stalking
Even though stalkers can be complete strangers, they are sometimes people from our closest surroundings. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 3 out of 4 stalking victims know their offender in some capacity. In many cases, internet stalking is followed by stalking in real life.
What you need to remember is that annoying or distracting messages that you receive from your colleagues or friends are not considered cyberstalking. If your actions are monitored by someone, and you receive intrusive messages that invade your privacyyou might be dealing with cyberstalking.
Theres a thin line between acceptable behavior and harassment, but if the communication is unwanted, it is considered to be harassment. Most people who seek to make a connection with you will stop doing so if you ask them to.
Cyberstalkers cross the line and keep sending messages, even when you ask them to stop. These people usually have a criminal record or some mental disorder. They have a great desire to control and influence the victim.
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Harassment Of Two Or More Persons
Section 125 of the SOCPA added a new subsection 1 to the PHA making it an offence for a person to pursue a course of conduct involving the harassment of two or more persons on separate occasions which the defendant knows or ought to know involves harassment, the purpose of which is to persuade any person not to do something that he is entitled to do or to do something he is not under any obligation to do.
Victim And Witness Support And Safety
It is essential that victims receive information on harassment advising them of the practical steps they can take to protect themselves from harm. Police officers should be reminded of this best practise and any relevant contact numbers should be included in any correspondence.
Victims may not know the full extent of the suspect’s conduct therefore it is essential that the victim is encouraged when making a statement to consider all potential lines of enquiry. These could include:
- history of previous reports and incidents relating to the suspect
- evidence of preparation for harassment made by the suspect
- telecommunications providers
- victim’s previous medical history in relation to physical or psychiatric injury
- victim’s own records or diaries
- other evidence collected by the victim including correspondence from the suspect
- evidence and records kept by other witnesses and
- physical evidence such as documents, handwriting, fingerprints and sources of DNA.
Opportunity should be taken to remind officers to signpost victims, where appropriate, through to a specific support agency. This could include an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser or indeed the national helpline or specific national charities which have been established to assist victims of this type of behaviour.
Organisations providing support include the following:
The National Stalking Helpline– Practical advice and information to anyone who is currently or previously has been affected by harassment or stalking.
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Fixated Threat Assessment Centre
The Fixated Threat Assessment Centre is a joint police/mental health unit established by the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Metropolitan Police Service. It assesses and manages the risk posed by people who engage in bizarre communications or contact prominent people in public life and who additionally pose a risk to the public, the prominent person and themselves. This is particularly so in environments where there are armed police officers. This involves referrals to mental health services and where necessary criminal investigation. They can be a useful contact in complex cases.
Fixated Threat Assessment Centre
Fax: 020 8721 5273