The head of the Women's Resource Centre yesterday gave her full support to moves to get tough with stalkers.

WRC chairwoman Miss Toni Daniels backed calls made by the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto in the House of Assembly earlier this week for more effective anti-stalking legislation.

Existing trespassing and restraining laws needed tightening up to deal with the problem, she said.

"They are well-written laws, but for a number of reasons they are not used as often as they could be,'' said Miss Daniels.

"An option is to look at these laws and make amendments instead of writing a new law which takes time,'' she said.

The intrusion law, believed to be unique to Bermuda, is rarely enforced because many women do not know it exists. And Police could do more to let women know their legal options although women's groups have a similar role to play, she said.

"A huge majority of our clients haven't heard of these laws. They could be used quite effectively but the public needs to be aware of them.

"People often assume the intrusion law just applies to a stranger harassing a woman on the beach, for example. But it could be applied to domestic situations. Trespassing is another very well-written law.'' But the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto said in some cases, anti-trespassing legislation is useless in bringing perpetrators to court.

"At the moment there is only a mixed bag of things that can be done. Victims can write to the stalkers warning them not to trespass, but trespassing is not necessarily stalking. Stalking can occur in public places or outside the house.'' And the process of ordering an injunction, she said, often takes too long to be effective.

"This is a problem that, as a lawyer, I hear a lot of but there is little or nothing that can be done in an effective way. On that specific thing there are no existing laws. We need to set out the criteria of stalking and set it in legislation. I honestly feel it should be addressed quickly.'' But she said a stalking law should be for the protection of both genders.

"The concept of stalking implies a course of conduct that is deliberate.

Usually it is anti-women but legislation would have to encompass all scenarios.'' Miss Daniels said there has been a big increase in reported incidents of stalking, invariably occurring in divorce cases and domestic disputes.

"We get a fair number of them and stalking is a growing trend. It may just start with a boyfriend turning up at work or peeping,'' she said.

Sometimes, she said, the victims of stalking are men.

"It is not uncommon for a man to be named the victim in these cases.'' Miss Daniels said the Centre would back any proposals to tackle the growing problem.

"Further to her (Mrs Cartwright DeCouto's) comments we certainly support them wholeheartedly,'' she said. "I'll certainly back anything that will ease the problem.''