A EUROPE-WIDE anti-stalking awareness day is close to becoming a reality, thanks to a former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year.

Ann Moulds, who won the title in 2013, continues to fight for victims’ rights following her own two-year stalking ordeal.

In December, she was one of the key speakers at Victim Support Europe’s conference at the European Parliament and she has recently teamed up with Church of England whistleblower Rev Graham Sawyer to help raise awareness of the links between child abuse and stalking.

Rev Sawyer has spoken out about his own experience of child abuse by a former Anglican bishop, who was jailed in 2015, and his subsequent 13-month stalking ordeal.

Now he and Ann are hoping more will be done to educate young people.

“The word stalker is never used when discussing children and young people – instead, terms like predator and paedophile are employed,” explains Ann.

“Stalking is an extension of bullying.

“We read about young people committing suicide following bullying and cyber-bullying, so often that I cannot understand why there is a reluctance to acknowledge that stalking is a young person’s problem too.

“If we cannot teach our children what a stalker is, how can we keep them safe?”

Ann and Action Against Stalking, the charity she set up to campaign for a change in the law, are working closely with Victim Support Europe, Europe’s leading umbrella organisation speaking out on behalf of victims of crime.

They are hoping to investigate more closely the links between gang stalking, organised crime, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Scotland are the trailblazers in all of this,” said Ann.

“My campaign helped change laws in Scotland, and across Europe, when it was recognised as part of the Istanbul Convention in 47 countries.

“This is the next step.

“I want to see continued harmonisation of laws across Europe and its recognition as a criminal offence, to prevent stalkers from falling through the net.

“Stalking is a psychological crime.”

Ann added: “VSE also want to recognise our national anti-stalking awareness day with a view to rolling it out across Europe, officially recognised by the European Parliament.”

Rev Sawyer, who has called for changes to the law to bring England and Wales into line with Scotland, believes Ann’s expertise and support helped him through his ordeal.

“Stalking created havoc in my parish, and in my life, and I was left feeling deeply disappointed by the reaction of the police,” he said.

“I bear no ill will to my stalker. But the police made things worse rather than better.

“In Scotland, there is much more clarity surrounding the law, thanks to Ann and Action Against Stalking.

“In England, the situation is much more confusing, because stalking is simply covered by guidelines as part of a wider Harassment Act.”

Ann Moulds agreed: “There is a lot of confusion surrounding legislation in England which has created more problems.

“The emphasis should be on the victim, and we are fortunate in Scotland to now have the Victims and Witnesses Scotland Act, which means the rights of victims of crime are enshrined in law.”

Ann, whose professional background is in psychology and clinical behavioural psychotherapy, endured a horrendous stalking campaign before waiving her right to anonymity to speak out against failures in the law.

She launched Action Against Stalking (formerly Action Scotland Against Stalking) in 2009, with the overall aim of having stalking recognised as a specific criminal offence within Scottish law and to give the victim an identity and a voice within the criminal justice process.

It quickly became a national and international campaign, changing laws in Scotland and across Europe.

In December 2014 she launched the civil justice campaign, Restoring the Balance of Justice, in conjunction with top lawyer Kim Lesley of Digby Brown, which inspired England and Wales to follow suit resulting in a joint national initiative.

Ann has also delivered training to the police, criminal justice professionals, government-funded bodies, educational institutions and victim support agencies across Scotland and internationally.

She has won a clutch of awards, including the title of Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year in 2013.