Former Miss England Endorses New Guidance for Stalking Victims

A former Miss England, who reported that her stalker relocated from India to the UK to be nearer to her, has expressed support for recently proposed government measures. Stephanie Hill, from Derbyshire, stated that she lost a year of her life after receiving hundreds of messages from Dhawal Chaudhary over an 11-month period starting in May 2020. Chaudhary, currently 29 years old, was apprehended and subsequently given a hospital order at Derby Crown Court in May 2022, following his admission of stalking and harassment charges. This week saw the announcement of the proposed “right to know” statutory guidance, which the government indicated would inform victims of stalking about their abuser’s identity at the earliest possible stage. Ms Hill, who was crowned Miss England in 2017, acknowledged that she already knew her stalker’s identity but nevertheless welcomed the announcement, characterizing it as the “beginning of a lot of change.” Recounting her ordeal, the 29-year-old informed the BBC that her role as Miss England necessitated maintaining social media profiles to publicize her activities. “Sadly this has a global reach and some of the work we were doing did catch the attention of a gentleman internationally,” she said. Ms Hill, who is employed in healthcare, described the events that unfolded as “horrendous,” as the individual began to stalk both her and her family. “He decided to make the move from his home country over to the UK to be in closer proximity.” “He tried to get involved in my career and get me fired from my work.” She explained that despite blocking him online, he created approximately 50 new social media accounts to persist in contacting her. She stated that “everything changed” once Chaudhary moved to the UK. “All of a sudden he could find us at any moment.” Ms Hill also mentioned that he attempted to persuade other individuals to act on his behalf. “So that anonymous element really came into effect because he could have spoken to someone willing to intimidate on his behalf, or willing to carry out any kind of harmful activity.” “You never knew who you were passing in the street,” she added. “I lost a year of my life. I don’t remember a lot because of the trauma. You just survive.” Ms Hill believes the new proposal would grant victims of stalking “more agency in the process.” She further elaborated: “For people who are dealing with anonymous stalkers, the whole principle of stalking is they feel entitled to that person’s time, their life, a relationship with them. “That is where the victim feels incredibly powerless. “If that victim is allowed to know at the earliest opportunity who that is, it gives them a bit more agency in the process and puts a face to the name, and takes some of that power away from the person doing the stalking.” Chaudhary, who has no fixed abode, received a hospital order “until further order,” in addition to restraining and restriction orders. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can visit the BBC’s Action Line. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.