Dr Ann Moulds CBE, founder of the UK charity Action Against Stalking, was honored with the King’s Honour for her unwavering dedication to advocating for stalking victims. The ceremony took place at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, where Dr Moulds was accompanied by her family, including her sister-in-law, former Crimewatch presenter and Hacked Off Board member Jacqui Hames.
Dr Moulds’ personal experience with stalking, where she was targeted by someone she once trusted and faced disbelief and dismissal from the police, sparked her passion for seeking justice for stalking victims. Despite her stalker being convicted, she was left alone to pick up the pieces of her life, with considerable strain on her relationship with her daughter.
Her own struggles with the justice system, where she was denied the opportunity to have her voice heard in court as her stalker pleaded guilty, prompted her to launch a campaign for change. In 2010, she successfully advocated for stalking to be recognized as a standalone criminal offence in Scotland. She then extended her campaign to England & Wales, leading to stalking being included in the Protection of Freedom Act 2014. Her efforts also resulted in the inclusion of stalking in the Council of Europe’s ‘Istanbul’ Treaty, making it mandatory for all European member states to codify stalking into criminal law. In 2012, she played a key role in having victims’ rights enshrined in statutory law in Scotland through the Victim & Witnesses (Scot) Act 2014. This successful campaign also 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, Dr Moulds founded the charity Action Against Stalking to provide vital support to victims and continued advocating for reform. In 2021, she partnered 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 earned her numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland in 2024 and, most recently, a CBE from His Majesty the King.
The issue of stalking also hit close to home for Jacqui Hames, who is not only Dr Moulds’ sister-in-law but also a former Crimewatch presenter and Hacked Off Board member. Jacqui herself became a victim of harassment by the press and was 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 exposed deep-seated corruption within both the police and the press. Jacqui’s personal and professional life was infiltrated by News of the World staff, who even broke into her home as she prepared her court statement.
Inspired by her sister-in-law’s campaign for change, Jacqui joined the Hacked Off campaign alongside actor Hugh Grant. Hacked Off advocates for the press to be held accountable to standards that protect the public, strengthen democracy, and safeguard freedom of speech. For the past 14 years, Jacqui has been lobbying politicians, informing the public, and campaigning for press accountability.
Jacqui and Dr Moulds’ shared experiences have strengthened their bond as family members and advocates for change. According to Jacqui, “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?”
The two remarkable women have been at the forefront of their movements for 15 years, striving to create safer communities and hold those entrusted with public protection accountable. Dr Moulds believes that “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.”
To learn more about Action Against Stalking, visit their website at www.actionagainststalking.org. For more information on Hacked Off, please visit www.hackedoff.org.uk. If you or someone you know has been a victim of stalking, you can contact Action Against Stalking for free, professional, and confidential support by calling 0800 820 2427, emailing support@actionagainststalking.org, or visiting their website at www.actionagainststalking.org/referral.
This article is distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/.