Switzerland Makes Stalking a Criminal Offense

• The Swiss parliament has unanimously approved legislation to include stalking as a specific criminal offense in the Criminal Code.
• Victims of stalking must lodge a formal complaint to initiate prosecution; the offense will not be prosecuted automatically (ex officio).
• The House of Representatives compromised on their initial stance regarding automatic prosecution to align with the Senate and Federal Council.
• Stalking is statistically most common within marital relationships.

They Said