After This Woman Was Murdered By Her Stalker, New Zealand Officially Made Stalking A Crime
New Zealand’s justice minister Paul Goldsmith said the government was sending “a very clear message” that stalking had to stop.
New Zealand has officially made stalking and harassment a crime, in a major win for women and survivors who said the country’s laws were failing to protect them.
Until now, stalking in New Zealand was not treated as its own criminal offense.
Instead, it was often dealt with in conjunction with other laws on harassment, intimidation, trespassing, family violence or harmful digital communications, which advocates said failed to capture stalking as a repeated and escalating pattern of behavior.
There had been calls in New Zealand to make stalking a crime for years, but the law was pushed forward after the murder of Farzana Yaqubi, a 21-year-old Muslim law student in 2022 by her stalker.
In October 2022, Yaqubi was being stalked in Auckland by a man named Kanwarpal Singh and reported her fears to the police multiple times.
Yaqubi first made an online report to police on Oct. 25, 2022, providing screenshots of messages Singh had sent her, including one where he threatened to throw acid on her face.
On Dec. 3, Yaqubi updated her report and told police the situation had escalated and that she was extremely fearful Singh posed a threat to her life.
On Dec. 19, Singh killed her.
At the time of her death, her complaint file was still awaiting investigation.
New Zealand’s Independent Police Conduct Authority later found the police response to Yaqubi’s reports was inadequate.
Yaqubi’s death sparked widespread outrage, withfour political parties pledging to strengthen legal protections against stalking and more than 20,000 people signing a petition that was presented to parliament to demand a law change.
More than 600 people also made submissions to the parliamentary Justice Committee, many sharing their own experiences of being stalked.
The bill passed its final reading in Parliament in November 2025 and came into effect on May 26, making stalking a standalone crime. .
Under the new law, stalking and harassment are defined as a pattern of behavior where a person carries out specified acts toward another person on at least two separate occasions within two years, while knowing the behavior is likely to cause fear or distress.
The law covers acts including watching, following, loitering near or obstructing someone, recording or tracking them, repeatedly contacting them, interfering with their property or pets, damaging their reputation or relationships, doxing them or pretending to be them online.
The law also includes a police notice system, which allows police to formally warn someone that their behavior may amount to stalking and harassment if it continues.
People found guilty of stalking can face up to five years in prison.
New Zealand’s justice minister Paul Goldsmith said the government was sending “a very clear message” that stalking had to stop.
“The reality is anybody can be a victim,” Goldsmith said, adding that women are “greatly overrepresented” as victims.
He said children can also be exploited to surveil victims, pass on threats or be threatened themselves.
“This victory would not be possible without the tireless advocacy” of survivors and campaigners, he said.
You Might Also Be Interested In
Kassy Cho
Flavie Chen
Joanna Lee
