The biggest problem for this group is that the consequences become very short. Then you don't have time for this type of treatment, which takes time, says Martin Lardén, the Prison and Probation Service's expert on relapse prevention.
He sees a four-month stay in prison as an absolute minimum for it to be possible.
Generally, about 50 percent relapse into persecutory behavior and most persecute the same victim as before. With different forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, the risk of relapse can be reduced by 10-20 percent.
Must take distance
First, the driving force behind the behavior must be investigated.
Those who persecute someone they do not know often believe that they have a love relationship with the crime victim, or hope to get it. Another motive can be that one thinks that the person being persecuted is responsible for one's problems.
What is needed is that the person themselves must take distance from their behavior and realize that here I need to make a change. Then you need to make sure that the client has the skills to abstain, says Martin Lardén.
There is no criminal behavior that can be guaranteed to be stopped with treatment, he points out.
Somewhere it's about the person having to take responsibility for their own change.
"Life is put on pause"
Bianca Ingrosso's case will affect many, believes Magnus Lindgren, secretary general of the think tank Tryggare Sverige.
It will have major effects that Bianca has stood up and dared to go through this.
Now the focus is on a problem that affects many. It can lead to both more reports and improved support for crime victims, he hopes.
It's life destroyers we're dealing with. The consequences for those affected are often incredibly extensive. The whole life is put on pause and everything is about the fear of the known or unknown perpetrator who destroys one's life.
Apply for restraining order
Magnus Lindgren has a background as a crime victim researcher and police officer with responsibility for personal safety issues.
The basic tip for crime victims is to apply for a restraining order as early as possible. The more times a restraining order has been violated, the more the sentence is affected.
Crime victims need more support than today, he believes.
One wants a guide in this process where one is often left completely alone and where one has no idea about one's rights. When you're at your weakest in life, you have to be at your strongest.
