Mobile stalking alarm now available nationwide

The mobile stalking alarm is one of the protective measures for victims of domestic violence included in the Stop Feminicide Act passed last June, along with the restraining order, no contact order and non-disclosure of home address. 

The alarm button is connected via Bluetooth to the victim's smartphone or a smartphone provided by the victim. By pressing the button in a threatening situation, the victim discreetly alerts the Police Information and Communication Centre (ICC). The ICC can then quickly inform the relevant police zone. The police team receives details of the specific circumstances (background, history, personality of the perpetrator, possible possession of weapons, etc.).

The mobile stalking alert was launched in 2019 as part of a pilot project involving the Ghent police zone and the East Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office. The positive evaluation of the pilot project, which was prepared in cooperation with the Institute for the equality of women and man, led to the decision to gradually roll out the alert throughout the territory. The project involves several partners: the police zone, the Federal Police Information and Communication Centre and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Between the start of the project in 2019 and the end of this month (November 2023), 120 victims received a mobile stalking alarm, mainly in the areas where the project was first implemented (East and West Flanders). The other areas will be equipped in 2023. A total of 40 interventions took place with a shorter intervention time than usual. This resulted in 10 arrests. According to the first evaluations of the Institute for Equality of women and men, 89.6% of the victims who used an alarm felt significantly safer. 

There are currently 79 mobile stalking alarms in use and 1,000 devices available. A support committee has been set up to help implement the alarm and the Institute for Equality of women and men is responsible for evaluating the system. The measure is part of the National Action Plan against Gender Violence (PAN 2021-2025).

Secretary of State for Gender Equality Marie-Colline Leroy: “Our goal is to gradually reduce the number of feminicides in Belgium to zero. The mobile stalking alert is one of the tools that will help by enabling the police to intervene quickly. This device reduces the risk of violence and thus improves the protection of victims. I welcome the fact that the mobile stalking alert has now been introduced nationwide. I would like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and the police for their cooperation on this project, as well as my colleagues in the Home Office and the Department of Justice.” 

"With the introduction of the stalking alarm, the inhabitants of the province of Hainaut can now also count on police assistance at the push of a button, without being noticed. This is another step forward in the roll-out of the system, which we can now use throughout the country. We are ensuring that people can feel safe wherever they are, including at home," sais Minister of Home Affairs Annelies Verlinden.

Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt: "Too many women face life-threatening stalking. In more than half of the cases, the perpetrators are ex-partners who cannot bear the break-up of a relationship. The mobile stalking alert is a powerful tool for police and prosecutors to intervene quickly and appropriately before stalking turns into a full-blown drama. For victims, it offers protection, safety and peace of mind. It is one of the ways in which this Government is leading the fight against sexual and domestic violence.”