In His Sights Brings Stalking to Light

Memoir by Kate Brennan Gives Insight On Victim's Perspective

Jul 15, 2009

Kate Brennan's true story of being obsessively pursued by a former boyfriend is one of terror, helplessness and strength. It is a compelling story told with honesty.

Kate Brennan has been a victim of stalking for more than 10 years. In fact, her stalker, whom she calls Paul, is still turning her life upside down to this very day. Victims of stalking spend their days fearful of going out in public or revealing any information about their whereabouts. Brennan, a writer and scholar, has taken a brave step in publishing the story of the ongoing crime against her.

Kate Brennan's Story

Using a pseudonym, Kate details her first meeting with Paul, the charismatic, wealthy business man she meets through her close friends. Kate isn't looking for love; she is independent and highly intellectual, keeping herself busy with her career researching and teaching women's literature. Eventually, she gives in to Paul's pursuit of her and the two begin dating.

Early on, there are warning signs: Paul is moody and physically distant, his ex-lovers are still in his life to a point where Kate is uncomfortable and he even admits to cheating on her. Brennan writes with incredible honesty about the complexity of relationships; she has opened herself up more to Paul than she has to any other man. Despite a short separation due to his infidelity, she continues to try and make the relationship work.

After moving in with him, Brennan begins to uncover some hard truths about Paul, particularly about his sexuality. He makes inappropriate comments about young girls and keeps videotapes of his father's sexual conquests. The author knows she must leave and finally does so. But before she goes, Paul makes her a promise: he will destroy her.

The years following their break-up are terrifying. While he is definitely terrorizing her, he is never caught in the act. He pays people, even Kate's friends, large sums of money to make her life difficult. She often comes home to find her apartment broken into and although nothing is missing, just enough things are out of place to indicate that someone was there. Total strangers approach her in public, at coffee shops or book stores, and tell her they know her and that they are watching.

Kate moves constantly and is forced to change her telephone number every time he taps her line. He "hires" her landlords and pays people off at the telephone company in order to constantly remain in her life. The police are helpful and convinced that Paul is extremely dangerous. But because there is never hard evidence that he is behind the incidents, he is never arrested.

Unfortunately, there is never a resolution to Kate Brennan's story. Although she has settled in one place, she continues to sleep in full clothes, shoes on, bag packed and cell phone always near in case she has to escape quickly. Paul has moved on to other women and even gotten married. But he continues to stalk her, never letting her forget that he is in control.

Stalking is a Very Real Crime

According to the Stalking Resource Center, an office of the National Center for Victims of Crime, 1.4 million people are stalked every year in the United States. Men are also victims of stalking; about 22% of stalking victims are male.

Stalking behavior can be mild or extreme. Either way, it's frightening and against the law. Here are some examples of stalking behavior:

While all 50 states have stalker laws, stalking behavior can be difficult to pin on the perpetrator. Authorities have taken the crime much more seriously since stalking victims can often end up being seriously injured or even killed. In other cases, stalkers simply cease their behaviors; sometimes it's because they have found another victim. Other times, they may be detained by the authorities for other reasons. It's rare that stalkers simply "go away." Most often, victims are the ones forced into hiding.

The copyright of the article In His Sights Brings Stalking to Light in Biographies/Memoirs is owned by Dresden Quinn Jones. Permission to republish In His Sights Brings Stalking to Light in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.