There are many more “Reindeer” series. This is how stalking destroys the lives of Poles

Stalking occurs when a person is persistently harassed by another person. The phenomenon may take milder and more advanced forms, but it always disturbs the peaceful life of the victim. Sometimes we are talking about sending mass amounts of messages or harassing people with persistent phone calls. Sometimes you end up being followed and even threatened with death.

Recently, stalking has become extremely loud thanks to the hit Netflix series. We are talking about the title “Reindeer”, in which we learn about the true story of Richard Gadd. The man who plays the main role is also a hero who experienced the described events in real life. The series is currently one of the most watched on the platform and invariably sparks a lot of emotions and discussions.

What arouses additional emotions is the fact that the serial stalker has been identified by Internet users. We already know the woman's name, and she confirmed her identity – recently she even took part in an online interview with journalist Piers Morgan, where she denied what she was accused of. Internet users are following the case en masse on YouTube.

It turns out that there are many similar stories in Poland, and there are plenty of stalkers. A Polish detective agency shared with us interesting data on this issue. The conclusions are saddening.

Stalking in Poland. There are more “Reindeers”.

“The matter is serious because the number of cases of persecution and stalking is increasing. We need to redefine this as a society. Stalking does not have to be aggressive to arouse our anxiety, make us feel threatened and uncomfortable. Each year, our detective agency receives nearly 100 stalking cases. Many of them are cases considered by the police as not worthy of intervention,” revealed Małgorzata Marczulewska, a private detective and debt collector.

100 cases of stalking a year is a lot, and as we know, not all cases of this type are reported to the offices. Victims can be people of any gender. “This is a very democratic phenomenon, because we have many cases of persecuted women, but there are also cases of persecuted men,” said the detective.

Stalking has many names

Representatives of the detective agency informed that stalking may concern matrimonial, professional or even family relationships. Sometimes the victim does not know her stalker, but chooses messages from him on social media. Sometimes the stalker turns out to be an ex-spouse or a colleague. At the same time, Małgorzata Marczulewska emphasized that a significant part of stalking cases begin with matrimonial relationships.

“One of our clients made an appointment with a man. After two dates, she decided not to continue the relationship. The man wrote over a hundred messages to her on Facebook and Instagram and visited her around the block. He asked why the woman didn't want to give him a chance. In the evening he wrote her vulgar messages in which he insulted her the worst, and in the morning he wrote her “good morning” as if nothing had happened. The woman could not find peace for several months,” said detective Marczulewska.

There were many more similar cases. “Another client broke up with her partner, and he became so maniacal about her that he wrote not only to her, but to her friends, acquaintances, and parents. He visited her at work, asked her friends if she had any relationships with other men, and wrote messages full of regret, disappointment and accusations of betrayal to his former partner's Facebook friends. This situation lasted for a year. How is this possible? The man was never aggressive. However, he was oppressive, and his despair caused his former partner to almost suffer a nervous breakdown,” reports Małgorzata Marczulewska.

Beware of stalkers. Avoid this

It is difficult to predict when we will become a victim of a stalker and sometimes such a situation cannot be prevented. When a disturbing incident occurs, it is best not to provoke the stalker or increase his interest. “Stalkers should not be ignored. They should also not be provoked into aggressive or difficult-to-control behavior. They are usually unpredictable people, so we cannot be sure how they will behave, and unfortunately there were situations when jealousy caused tragedies,” said detective Małgorzata Marczulewska.

Are you a victim of a stalker? Remember that you don't have to be alone with this. Every case of stalking should be reported to the police or private detectives. This is often the only safe solution.