Dr Ann Moulds CBE, founder of the UK charity Action Against Stalking, has been awarded the King’s Honour in recognition of her tireless advocacy for stalking victims. She received the accolade at Windsor Castle, accompanied by her family, including her sister-in-law, former Crimewatch presenter and Hacked Off Board member Jacqui Hames.
Ann was stalked in private by someone she once trusted—receiving unsolicited letters detailing sexual fantasies, explicit photographs and disturbing messages, Ann turned to the police and was met with disbelief and dismissal. When her stalker was finally found and convicted, he walked away, with support to rebuild his life, while Ann was left utterly alone. She’d lost her business, uprooted her home, even changed her name—and the strain on her relationship with her only daughter remains a painful legacy of that betrayal.
The driving force behind Ann’s campaign began with a profound injustice: she was denied the opportunity to have her voice heard in court, as her stalker pleaded guilty. At the time, stalking was not classified as a criminal offence in Scotland, and her perpetrator received a negligible punishment.
Determined to spark change, Ann launched a successful campaign that led to stalking being recognised as a standalone offence in Scotland in 2010. She took her campaign to England & Wales and successfully had stalking introduced into the Protection of Freedom Act 2014, followed by her success across Europe when she successfully has stalking introduced into the Council of Europe’s ‘Istanbul’ Treaty in 2011 placing an onus of all European member states to codify stalking into criminal law and in 2012 she was instrumental in having victims’ rights enshrined in statutory law in Scotland as the Victim & Witnesses ( Scot) Act 2014. The culmination of her successful campaign triggered the Scottish Government to reform the criminal justice system under their vision of ‘making justice work for victims’.
In 2014, after achieving all her objectives as a campaigning body, Ann founded the charity Action Against Stalking to provide vital support to victims and continued advocating for reform. In 2021, she entered a partnership with the University of the West of Scotland to launch the innovative and groundbreaking ‘Centre for Action Against Stalking’ for applied research into this underrepresented and poorly understood crime. Her relentless efforts have decorated Ann with numerous awards, culminating in her being honoured with an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland in 2024 and, more recently, a CBE from His Majesty the King.
While her Stalker targeted Ann in private for personal gratification, the press targeted Jacqui and her family for headlines.
As a victim of harassment, Jacqui became a core participant and witness at the Leveson public Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press. Her testimony shed light on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, which surfaced during the investigation into the murder of Daniel Morgan and exposed deep-seated corruption within both the police and the press.
Jacqui was harassed by News of the World staff, who targeted her family home and infiltrated her personal and professional life, gaining access to sensitive data through her employer, the Metropolitan Police. As she prepared her court statement, her house was broken into, adding another layer of trauma to an already difficult ordeal.
Jacqui became a voice for change by joining the Hacked Off campaign alongside actor Hugh Grant. Hacked Off advocates for the press to be held accountable to standards which protect the public, strengthen democracy and safeguard freedom of speech. Lobbying politicians, informing the public and campaigning have become part of Jacqui’s life for the past 14 years.
Spurred by her ordeal with press intrusion, Jacqui came to recognise the same violation of freedoms in her sister-in-law Ann’s story
“To be labelled a victim is, of itself, disempowering, but to discover that the institutions supposedly there to protect the public have also let you down is devastating. Where do ordinary citizens go for justice? Ann and I decided to challenge these institutions and, in my case, also powerful corporations. There is a personal cost involved, but choosing not to act can result in an even higher price to pay – for all of us.”
Jacqui Hames
Jacqui joined Ann at the very beginning of this journey in 2010, not only as a passionate advocate but also as a devoted family member. Fifteen years on, these remarkable women remain at the forefront of their movements, striving to create safer communities and to hold those entrusted with public protection to account.
"To be an activist for change and justice is putting your head above the parapet to challenge systems. This takes a lot of courage to stand up and speak out, but it must be done.”
Dr Ann Moulds CBE
You can learn more about Action Against Stalking here.
You can learn more about Hacked Off here.
If you have been a victim of stalking, you can contact Action Against Stalking for free, professional and confidential support. You can contact the team via phone 0800 820 2427, email support@actionagainststalking.org or online www.actionagainststalking.org/referral
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