stalked her relentlessly. The internal investigation said she had encouraged him. The Employment Appeal Tribunal called that finding inexplicable. The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled in February 2026 that the British Council was vicariously liable for the sexual harassment and stalking of an employee, KJ, by her senior manager Tony Reilly while she was posted to Morocco. Reilly bombarded her with gifts and messages declaring his love and entered her home to leave flowers. The internal investigation found no unwanted sexual advances, blamed KJ for encouraging the behaviour, and prioritised Reilly's wellbeing over hers. The EAT described the British Council as fundamentally deceptive and dismissed its cross-appeal. In March 2026, King Charles stripped Reilly of his OBE due to professional censure. Compensation is yet to be determined.

criminal offence carrying up to two years imprisonment. Most employers have not briefed their staff. The Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 came into force on 1 April 2026, inserting a new section 4B into the Public Order Act 1986. The offence covers intentional harassment, alarm, or distress caused because of a person's actual or presumed sex. It applies in public and private places including the workplace. A service user, tenant, patient, or member of the public who subjects a lone worker to sex-based threatening or abusive behaviour could now be committing a criminal offence. Most lone worker briefings across social care, housing, and healthcare have not been updated to reflect this change.

Stalking prosecutions have risen from 2,512 in 2020/21 to 7,168 in 2024/25. The CPS has launched a new four-year action plan and warns that young people may not recognise they are being stalked. The Crown Prosecution Service published its Stalking Action Plan 2026 to 2030 in March 2026, following a record year of prosecutions. Charges reached 7,168 in 2024/25, up from 2,512 in 2020/21, a rise of 185% in four years. The CPS warns that digital stalking is blurring the boundaries of what constitutes the offence and that young people may not recognise that persistent unwanted contact, monitoring, or following constitutes stalking. The action plan commits to improved support for victims, stronger guidance on digital evidence, and closer working with police. For frontline lone workers in housing, healthcare, and social care, a service user who repeatedly contacts, follows, or monitors a worker may already be committing a criminal offence.

at her home. While in custody he threatened and racially harassed a detention officer. Sentenced to two years and eight months this week. On 28 May 2026, Mohammed Qasim Ali was sentenced to two years and eight months at Stafford Crown Court for stalking a woman over more than a year in Burton-upon-Trent. Ali followed the victim from a petrol station to a shop, got into her vehicle uninvited, attended her home address, threw rocks at the property, and subjected her to a sustained campaign of unwanted contact. Whilst remanded in custody, he threatened and racially harassed a custody detention officer in the performance of their duty. The case was investigated by Staffordshire Police and the sentence includes the aggravating factor of offending committed whilst in a position to cause harm to a public servant.