Woman shares horrors of being stalked in new documentary

A woman shares her story of being stalked as a student in Galway, which ended in a terrifying confrontation, in a new documentary.

STALKED is a new documentary looking at stalking in Ireland as it finally becomes a crime, with chilling first hand accounts from victims and insights from Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

The documentary, airing on Virgin Media One next Monday, February 12, highlights the haunting effect stalking can have on victims.

Eve McDowell was stalked by Igor Lewandoski when studying in her first year at University of Galway culminating in a terrifying break-in with a hammer.

Picking up with Eve as her stalker is released from prison, as she faces a precarious future we come to understand the long-lasting, overwhelming fear and isolation stalking inflicts on its victims. 

Una Ring shares the harrowing ordeal she experienced at the hands of former work colleague James Steele.

Spray painting her windows and car tires and leaving threatening notes at her door, Steele was finally arrested when attempting to break into Una’s home armed with a rope, crow bar, dildo and duct tape.

Una reflects on her future as she prepares for Steele’s imminent release from prison. 

International research suggests up to 1 in 6 men experience stalking in their life time. Through Jarlath Rice’s horrifying story we come to realise the debilitating impact stalking has on a victim’s life.

Following a short fling, Dublin native Jarlath was relentlessly stalked by Lina Tantash for a decade, pushing him to the brink of suicide.

Jarlath fled Ireland only to be followed by Tantash who was finally arrested by an armed response unit in Brighton, UK. 

The lack of stalking specific legislation in Ireland deeply affected all three contributors. Eve McDowell and Una Ring, survivors turned activists, courageously championed the urgent need for stalking-specific legislation to protect victims.

With stalking specific legislation coming into effect in November 2023, their tireless efforts and commitment to change have become a beacon of hope for people who have experienced the horrors of stalking.