Why Swiss police seem helpless against stalkers

Women are more often affected by harassment than men.Image: shutterstock/watson

As recently shown in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer, obsessive bullying is a complex phenomenon that can have serious psychological consequences. However, stalking does not yet exist as a specific offense in Swiss criminal law, despite the increase in denunciations. Explanations.

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The Netflix mini-series Baby Reindeer captivates audiences with its open depiction of male sexual victimization and harassment. The series, based on the experiences of British comedian Richard Gadd, helps raise awareness that men are also affected by harassment. And shows how difficult it is to report someone who bombards you with at least 356 messages a day.

This applies not only to the UK, but also in Switzerland. So far, there is no specific legislation in Switzerland declaring criminal harassment illegal. The question then arises: why there are more and more cases of harassmentand which actions are most frequent.

No statistics

The vast majority of victims of harassment are women, explains Fabian Ilg, director of Swiss Crime Prevention. However, men are also harassed by women or women and men harass their peers of the same sex. However, there are no figures for stalking cases on a national scale.

Indeed, Obsessive harassment is not a criminal offence, but can meet different offense criteria such as threat or coercion. The Zurich cantonal police explains:

“These are not captured separately in the statistics and therefore cannot be presented”

Let us also remember that due to the feeling of shame, Many victims find it difficult to seek help. According to Fabian Ilg, this inhibition threshold is in principle higher in men:

“This is probably one of the reasons why there are proportionally fewer men coming forward.”

Is harassment an agumentation?

According to Swiss Crime Prevention, Stalking cases are on the rise – even if obsessive harassment is not a mass phenomenon. But this could also be linked to the fact that more and more victims dare to take the step towards the police or a victim support center. “The cases thus move from the shadows to the light”explains Fabian Ilg.

The reasons and motivations behind stalking can be very different. Thus, a person may act to take revenge for a perceived injustice, for example following a romantic disappointment or termination of an employment contract. Other motives are the desire for relationships, love madness, hatred or the need to control someone to encourage them to change their behavior.

Motivations can change over time. “All the reasons have in common the desire to attract attention, which is experienced excessively,” according to the director of Swiss Crime Prevention.

The harassment must be taken seriously

Depending on the search model, there are different types of stalking, but there are in principle three types of harassers. Most of the time, harassment occurs after a separation between spouses or partners. There are also “acquaintances” who become harassers, as well as strangers who harass, among others, well-known personalities.

Bullies suffer from a distorted perception of reality. Thus, the rejection or reaction of others may be misinterpreted or, in the first case, not perceived.

As a general rule, according to Fabian Ilg, acts of harassment decrease in number depending on the level of seriousness; thus, telephone calls, messages, letters, sending gifts are more frequent than surveillance or ambush. Acts such as pursuit to the workplace or intrusion into the home are even rarer.

Nevertheless, the situation should be taken seriously. According to the cantonal police, Obsessive harassment tends to escalate over time if nothing is done to prevent it.

Consequences for victims

What are the consequences of harassment on victims? Quality of life is reduced, self-confidence decreases and often those who are bullied suffer from anxiety, paranoia, sleep disturbances, headaches and stomach aches, irritability, depression and nightmares.

However, Fabian Ilg warns and recalls that “it is likely that harassers seek to reject the fault and the responsibility for their often unhealthy actions.”

How to report?

If you are harassed by someone, the offence can only be prosecuted if a complaint is filed, explains Fabian Ilg. He continues:

“As these are in principle isolated acts, and it is only through repetition that they constitute acts of stalking, many do not dare to take the step to the police.”

The expert therefore recommends first seeking advice from a victim support service. In addition, almost all cantonal police forces have a cantonal threat management service to which those affected can contact.