MORE than 1,500 reports of harassment or stalking were made to Gwent Police in 2021 according to a Freedom of Information Act request.

A total of 1,524 reports were made to the force between January-December 2021. This is an increase of more than 600 on the 2020 figures, when 900 reports were made.

The force broke down the data to include the number of male and female victims and offenders. Of the reports, 1,174 - or 77 per cent - in 2021 were made by female victims, while 335 - 22 per cent - were reported by males. The remaining five did not identify their gender.

In 2020, 721 offences - 80 per cent - were reported by females and 164 - 18 per cent - by males. Four victims were not identified by their gender.

In 2021, 1,082 - 71 per cent - of the reported incidents were alleged to be carried out by males, while 323 - 21 per cent - were alleged to have been carried out by females.

In seven cases the alleged offenders’ gender was not specified.

Of the cases reported in 2020, 661 - 73 per cent - were alleged to have been carried out by males in 2020 and 154 - 17 per cent - by females.

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In 2021, 142 people were arrested for stalking offences. These offences include:

  • Stalking involving fear of violence;
  • Stalking involving serious alarm or distress;
  • Stalking without fear, alarm, or distress;
  • Stalking involving fear of violence;
  • Stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

The offences are separate to the reported incidents as the arrests could be related to previous incidents reported in different months or years to their arrest.

Of those arrested, 137 - 96 per cent - were male, and five were female.

In 2020, 119 were arrested for the above stalking offences. Of these 114 - again, 96 per cent of the total - were male, and five were female.