Government to introduce bill criminalising stalking by the end of 2024 w/ Chair of the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children, Leonie Morris: 1st July, 2024

95bFM: The Wire

Last week, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced he would introduce a bill to parliament that would officially make stalking illegal by the end of the year.

The announcement comes after an open letter and petition with more than 21,000 signatures called for the government to introduce anti-stalking legislation.

The movement to criminalise stalking was ignited after the murder of 21-year old Farzana Yaqubi in 2022, who was stalked for several weeks leading up to her death, and was effectively ignored by New Zealand police as there are currently no laws criminalising stalking.

Wire host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to the Chair of the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children, Leonie Morris, to discuss why the government has brought the introduction of the bill forward, prevention measures, and indications of what the bill might look like.