The UK Victims’ Commissioner has vowed to help abuse victims navigate a gruelling justice system after she was let down by police.
Claire Waxman was aggressively stalked for 22 years by former Sky Sports News producer Elliot Fogel, but is now leading the charge against perpetrators of such invasive and threatening crimes.
Ms Waxman told The Sun on Sunday that she does not want anyone to go through the same stilted and confusing process she had to.
She said she was not taken seriously by police after reporting Elliot Fogel, 50, for his vile behaviour decades ago – which included him Googling her name more than 40,000 times in a single year.
Ms Waxman said: ‘My own experience informed this whole new career change for me many, many years ago.
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‘I have got that deep experience and long experience of the criminal justice system. I’ve been in it for 22 years now. And unfortunately, I sort of do get pulled back into it.
‘I work with hundreds and hundreds of victims from all different crime types, families bereaved by homicide.
‘My work has always been shaped by their lived experiences […] for me, that victim’s voice is central to the work that I do.’
Fogel, who posed as a prospective parent at Ms Waxman’s child’s nursery, has since been convicted of stalking and harassment, serving prison time.
But this has not been a smooth process for Ms Waxman who found herself in court time and time again to keep Fogel away from her.
Fogel acted with impunity by repeatedly breaking court orders and earlier this year he even attempted to appeal an order restricting him from going near Ms Waxman or her family.
Other victims of stalking and more violent crimes do not fare much better.
Victims and survivors of rape have been waiting, on average, more than two years for their cases to be completed in court, according to Rape Crisis England & Wales, a feminist charity.
The total Crown Court backlog reached 76,957 by the end of March 2025 which was 11% higher than March 2024 with 69,021 cases, according to a report from The Law Society.
Ms Waxman’s central goal would be to introduce a victim care hub model. This would give a victim a single point of contact when navigating the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the courts.
She told The Sun: ‘I will be pushing for bold reforms of the way that we support victims in our criminal justice system in this country.
‘Twenty two years ago, I mean, it wasn’t really a thing, but no one ever talked about victims’ codes and rights over the years.
‘I didn’t know what to expect. That information is crucial because victims need to understand the journey ahead, what their rights are, they need to feel empowered.
‘Years ago, it was very difficult to get any of the agencies to listen to victims’ concerns, to listen to the victims’ voice, the victims’ lived experiences.
‘The doors were closed. The doors are very much open now. I’m very proud of the strong working relationships I have with all the criminal justice partners, including the judiciary.’
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