Protection Against Stalking (PAS) Co-Founder receives MBE in Her Majesty the  Queen’s Birthday Honours

Protection Against Stalking are delighted to congratulate our Co-Founder and Trustee Patricia Bernal (Tricia) on becoming a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021.

Tricia’s daughter Clare was murdered at work (Harvey Nicolls, London) by an ex-boyfriend whose stalking behaviour was not understood or recognised in 2005. Tricia has worked tirelessly to address this lack of knowledge ever since.

With Carol Faruqui,  whose daughter Rana was also murdered by an ex-boyfriend stalker, the two Mothers formed the charity Protection Against Stalking in 2010. The charity quickly established itself by setting up the National Stalking Helpline, which today is run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust,  followed in 2014 by PAS spearheading the successful campaign to introduce two specific stalking offences.

Tricia and PAS continue to raise awareness of stalking through training police, criminal justice and community professionals.  PAS is located in West Kent and today provides first-hand support to victims of stalking and their families, in 2020 more than 550 victims of stalking received direct support from PAS.

Sue Dunn, Co-CEO of PAS said, “Tricia is so deserving of this award, she has turned the tragedy of losing her daughter into something so powerful. It cannot be easy retelling the events that led to Clare’s murder, but Tricia is driven to preventing others suffering the same experience.  Stalking is an insidious crime, Tricia knows better than most how early identification and intervention in stalking cases really can save lives.”  

In responding to the news of the honour, Tricia Bernal said, “I have very mixed emotions, I feel incredibly proud to have been recognised in this way, but so wish I had the knowledge and understanding of stalking I have today 16 years ago. I dedicate this award to my beautiful daughter Clare,  a victim of stalking and to all victim’s of stalking and the families and friends left behind. I pay tribute to my fellow campaigner’s, volunteers and stalking advocates who have worked so hard and over a long time, to make the lives of victims of domestic abuse and stalking, safer. Thank you for all the support l have received. I will carry on sharing Clare’s story and my experience until stalking is recognised and understood and all victims receive the protection and justice they so need and deserve.”

Tricia still lives in Tunbridge Wells where Clare went to school and where today PAS operates from. In addition to her work with PAS, Tricia works with AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) supporting families and friends bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse related suicides and unexplained deaths.

Tricia would love to share her good news and is available for pre-recorded interviews on Thursday 10th June.

For further information and contact with Tricia, please email media@protectionagainststalking.org Alternatively call Jan Berry on 07977497324