The lawyer proposed an idea to supplement the new draft law on stalking

Maria Yarmush, a lawyer and specialist in civil and international law, proposed the idea of a new draft law on stalking.

In an interview with Radio 1 on March 27, the specialist told what to do if there is harassment on the street. She recommended changing your place of residence and phone number for a while, if possible. If this is not possible, according to her, it is worthwhile to enlist the support of loved ones — so that they accompany the person and act as witnesses, as well as record what is happening on video.

She stressed that a clear verbal warning to the harasser is an important step: it is necessary to make it clear in a polite way that obsessive attention and such behavior are unacceptable.

In addition, the lawyer expressed hope for the appearance in Russian practice of the so—called "protective order" - an injunction against approach. In her opinion, such a measure would allow the victim to go to court and seek to limit the actions of the persecutor, for example, a ban on approaching a certain distance.

She explained that in this case, the responsibility would have already come for violating the injunction: first in the form of a fine, and then — up to arrest. According to the expert, this would help make the punishment more understandable and effective, since the offender would be aware of the inevitable consequences of his actions.

On March 27, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky proposed to consolidate the concept of "obsessive harassment" in legislation and introduce administrative responsibility for it. In an interview with RT, he noted that "more and more citizens are facing harassment both offline and online." The politician noted that such situations often resolve themselves: either the persecutor eventually retreats, or the victim is forced to change his place of residence in order to protect himself. However, he added that even such measures do not always stop the persecution.

In January, psychologist Alena Ivanova, in an interview with RIAMO, said that the stalker does not understand the word "no" and creates dependence. Stalking is not a romance taken to the extreme, but a form of psychological violence based on obsession and a desire for total control. It is often confused with persistent courtship.

Earlier, psychologist Irina Nikolenko explained that in case of harassment, it is important to immediately stop any contacts, record all cases (messages, calls, meetings), warn loved ones and, if possible, change the usual routes and privacy settings in social networks. If there is a threat, you should contact the police and, if necessary, specialists to cope with the effects of stress, as well as use technology to improve security. She stressed that in such a situation, it is important not to be left alone and take concrete steps to protect yourself in order to regain control of your life and feel safe.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.