‘Packaged In A Box’ — The Lengths Stalkers Will Go To

A recent court case in the Netherlands has once again underscored the issue of stalking and the extreme lengths some perpetrators will go to.

On May 18th 2024, a 33-year-old man encased himself in a cardboard box and had it delivered to his ex-partner’s home. When the woman opened the box, he sprang out, armed with a gun and making threats. After a brief confrontation, he fled the scene with her house keys.

This brazen act was only the latest in a campaign targeting his ex-partner following their separation. Weeks earlier, he had tried a similar ploy, sending a food delivery to her home — jumping out from behind the delivery person as they knocked on the door. Over months, he had sent more than 100 threatening emails, revealing an unsettling knowledge of her daily activities. He impersonated her online with fake social media accounts, placed a tracking device on her car, and made uninvited visits to her house. The culmination of his actions earned him a four-month prison sentence and a three-year restraining order — a sentence some may argue falls short of addressing the serious impact of his behaviour on the victim.

The case in the Netherlands is not unique; rather, it highlights a crime that is both pervasive and frequently underestimated.

Understanding Stalking

Stalking isn’t new, nor is it rare. Recent research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that one in five women and one in fifteen men have experienced stalking since the age of 15. Likewise, research from England and Wales found that one in seven people over 16 years of age had been the victims of stalking. These are concerning figures.

Most victims know their stalker — often a current or former intimate partner. Nearly nine out of ten women who reported being stalked said their harasser was male, while men were equally likely to be targeted by either gender. Alarmingly, over half of stalking victims reported being followed or tracked, underscoring how technology has amplified the reach of stalkers.

The psychological toll of stalking is significant.

Victims often live in a state of constant fear, their sense of security eroded by persistent, unwanted attention. Yet stalking rarely garners the same attention as other forms of violence. Part of the problem lies in how stalking incidents are viewed. The actions — a threatening email here, an unexpected visit there — are often dismissed as isolated or minor events. It’s only when these incidents are connected that a more menacing and troubling pattern emerges.

This is what makes stalking so insidious: its success lies in its persistence and subtlety. Some stalkers follow their victims, appear at their homes uninvited, or leave unsettling “gifts.” Others prefer digital harassment, creating fake social media profiles, hacking accounts, or sending anonymous threats. The rise of inexpensive GPS trackers and spyware has made technological intrusion alarmingly easy, allowing stalkers to monitor victims’ movements and activities with chilling precision. The result is a pervasive sense of being watched, placing victims in a constant state of anxiety and fear.

In the Dutch case, the stalker’s bold methods culminated in him being delivered as a package. But for every headline-grabbing stunt, there are countless quieter campaigns of persistent harassment, some that go on for decades such as one case in Canada. Research shows that if stalking isn’t addressed within the first two weeks, it often persists, sometimes escalating into physical violence. Yet, despite its high prevalence, stalking is frequently underreported and underestimated.

The challenge is often systemic. Police can struggle to identify stalking as a pattern of behaviour, frequently addressing incidents in isolation until the situation escalates. In many countries, existing laws do not fully encompass the diverse and evolving tactics of stalkers, particularly in the digital realm. Meanwhile, victims, overwhelmed by fear or uncertain they will be taken seriously, may delay seeking help.

Stalking is rarely about a single act. It’s about a campaign of calculated actions intended to exert control over a victim. To combat it, authorities must adopt a holistic and collaborative approach — working with victims, support services, and striving to connect the dots and act swiftly. Early intervention is key; the longer stalking goes unchecked, the harder it becomes to stop.

The case in the Netherlands serves as both a cautionary tale and a reminder the stalkers are always finding new ways to target and harass victims. Stalking is not just a personal invasion; it is threat, one that demands more than complacency or piecemeal solutions. Without decisive action — supportive laws, proactive policing, and increased public awareness — victims will continue to feel vulnerable, and stalkers will continue to persist with their crimes.

The case highlights the extreme lengths stalkers will go to. Unfortunately, stalking is often underestimated until it escalates in seriousness — or presents as a perpetrator gift wrapped in a box on your doorstep.

Originally published on Medium: https://medium.com/@drnathanbrooks/packaged-in-a-box-the-lengths-stalkers-will-go-to-14d1e36588a5