Lily Allen Speaks Out About Stalking Case, Says She Felt "Victim-Shamed" By Police

Last year, a man broke into Lily Allen‘s apartment while she slept. Alex Gray came into her room screaming; he later revealed to police that he intended to stab Allen that night. Gray was convicted earlier this month of burglary and harassment; he’ll be sentenced next month. In a recent interview with The Observer, Allen detailed her history with Gray and her dealings with police over the incident. Tonight, in an interview that aired on “BBC Newsnight,” she says she felt “victim-shamed” by police and “let down” over the process. Update (4/20, 1:53 a.m. EST): Watch the full interview below.

In 2009, Gray reportedly sent Allen letters with accusations and suicide threats. Allen took the letters to the police, and recently, she was told they were destroyed “according to police protocol.” (“No apology, no explanation,” she said.) She was once given a panic alarm after reportedly spotting Gray at a concert, but she said police took it back after a few months. She begged police to see a photo of Gray, which they showed her, but took away after about 30 seconds. Following Gray’s break-in last year, police apparently told Allen that Gray’s intrusion was likely a drunk who had stumbled into the wrong flat. After she reported that Gray had stolen her purse, that’s when she felt that police started taking the case seriously. “I felt very alone,” she told The Observer. “I have some trust issues now, not least with the police. Who can you trust if you cannot trust institutions like the police?”

In a new interview with “BBC Newsnight,” Allen said that a police officer contacted her after The Observer interview was published. The officer suggested that her interview might have discouraged other victims from coming forward. Allen read the email during her tearful “Newsnight” interview:

“As you know, there have been press reports suggesting that you were dissatisfied with the response you received. Further, due to the high profile of this matter, I fear other victims of similar crimes may have read the story and now may not have the confidence in us to report such matters. As such, it is really important that I can understand what, if anything, went wrong during the investigation. I was saddened to hear of this report, so I would like to hear your views on what we could do better.”

She called the email “victim-shaming and victim-blaming.” She also said that she didn’t blame Gray for the incident. “I am not in the slightest bit angry with Alex Gray, and I could see from the minute he came into my bedroom that he was ill and that he needed help,” she said. “I wanted to help him. I felt immediately like there’s something really wrong with this guy and I feel like he’s been let down. I’ve been let down. And how many other people are being let down?”

Allen is working with the Women’s Equality Party and the stalking advocacy service Paladin on a campaign to set up a register for serial stalkers. Watch a clip from her interview below and another excerpt here. Read her full interview with The Observer.

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