1 week Ago By [email protected] (Sam Volpe)
A new scheme is sharing the horrifying story of Gateshead's Alice Ruggles with schoolchildren around the region. Alice, 24, was murdered by ex-partner Trimaan Dhillon in her Bensham flat in October of 2016. The Northumbria University graduate had been victim to a campaign of stalking by Dhillon.
Alice's parents - Clive Ruggles and Sue Hills - set up the Alice Ruggles Trust in her memory, and the trust runs a project delivering school assemblies across the North East. 18 schools across the Northumbria Police force area are signed up to the scheme. Ahead of National Stalking Awareness Week (April 21-25), Clive Ruggles joined the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner at one such assembly held at Sandview Academy in Sunderland .
The 30-minute assembly saw pupils hear about the dangers of stalking. The scheme is designed to raise awareness of "fixated, obsessive unwanted and repeated behaviours" that can lead to stalking - and also what can be done about it. Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East with our free newsletter The assemblies should give youngsters the knowledge to recognise stalking, take it seriously, know where to get support if they think it might be happening to them, and know how to help others who could be at risk.
One student to attend the assembly said: "I was shocked by what happened. It’s made me think about people’s behaviours, and my own too. Checking someone’s ‘last online’ or ‘current location’ - people can get obsessed - it can get out of hand.
" Clive Ruggles said: "The strapline of the Alice Ruggles Trust is ‘Putting an end to stalking’, and we believe the only way to approach that ultimate goal is to change the mindset of a generation. That is why we focus on educating young people, through assemblies like this, to recognise the seriousness of stalking, to look out for those around them, and know where to go to seek help. "And an essential part of our strategy is to stop people becoming stalkers in the first place, by helping youngsters identify and tackle problem behaviours before they escalate.
"It never gets any easier to hear Alice’s voice as we play part of her phone call to the police, but sitting in front of the audience at one of our assemblies it was clear to see the impact that our message was having. “We are hugely grateful for the support of the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner which has made it possible to reach so many schools in their area and has provided a model that we are starting to follow around the country. "Stalking is shockingly widespread and stalking awareness is an essential part of relationships and sex education.
We hope that many of the schools we reach with our assemblies will follow up with our PSHE lessons that are freely available on-line to all teachers." Anthony Blake, assistant headteacher at Sandhill View, said: "We place great importance on educating our students about healthy relationships and how to stay safe. Hearing Alice's harrowing story and the impact on her family members really personalised this.
"We could see the key messages unfold and resonate with students; the dangers of normalising controlling behaviours such as checking people's locations, 'last online' status and understanding when behaviours or attentions are unwanted. “It was also important for students to learn that anyone can become a victim and where to seek support. These powerful messages were delivered clearly through the assembly, through the support of the Alice Ruggles Trust and reiterated through the conversations that followed.
" Anthony said the school valued its "strong links" with neighbourhood police, and said working with officers was essential to keeping students safe. Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, added: "To be sat there, watching such a moving and powerful assembly being delivered, with Alice’s dad sat right next to me - it was incredibly poignant. I’m in awe with how the family have made it their mission to do everything in their power to help prevent what happened to Alice from happening to others.
“It’s really important, particularly in the digital age, that young people recognise stalking and have the confidence to seek support. By getting this assembly rolled out in as many schools as possible, in front of as many young people and their teachers as we can, I hope we are equipping this generation with the knowledge to recognise stalking, along with the confidence to seek help." To arrange an assembly or learn more about how to volunteer with this vital initiative, contact Lydia at The Alice Ruggles Trust lydia@alicerugglestrust.
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