Summary
Overview
In this deeply moving episode, Hannah and Georgia visit the parents of Alice Ruggles, a young woman who attended the same school as Hannah and was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after months of relentless stalking. Sue and Clive share Alice's story to highlight the devastating failures in how stalking cases are handled and to prevent similar tragedies through their work with the Alice Ruggles Trust.
Meeting Alice's Parents and Learning About Their Daughter
Hannah and Georgia travel to meet Sue and Clive, the parents of Alice Ruggles, who attended Hannah's former school. In their family home filled with photos and memories, they learn about Alice—a vibrant young woman working at Sky who had just started a new relationship after leaving a controlling boyfriend. The conversation reveals the unexpected connection between Hannah and Alice, both victims of stalking, and sets the stage for understanding what went so tragically wrong.
- Alice joined Leicester High School the year Hannah left, becoming best friends with Hannah's former friends
- Alice was working at Sky as a site coordinator after they recognized her capabilities
- Sue describes Alice as her best friend with a brilliant relationship
- Clive and Sue first met Alice's boyfriend during a May Bank Holiday weekend and initially found nothing concerning
" Alice was like my best friend, like everything. I just loved her. "
The Controlling Relationship and Break-Up
Alice's boyfriend gradually revealed controlling behaviors—constantly monitoring her location, demanding phone contact, and criticizing her appearance. When Alice decided to end the relationship, he refused to accept her decision, insisting he was "in control." After Alice met someone new and tried to keep it secret, her ex discovered the relationship, likely through spyware on her phone, and began an escalating campaign of harassment and threats.
- Alice's boyfriend wanted to know her location constantly and didn't like her doing things without talking to him
- He started putting Alice down and making comments about her appearance
- When Alice said she didn't want to go out with him anymore, he responded that he was in control
- He found out about Alice's new relationship, likely through spyware, and told the new boyfriend that Alice 'belonged' to him
- He controlled Alice's Facebook account and threatened to post compromising pictures
- He would post messages on Facebook and then delete them, forcing Alice and her sister to screenshot everything
" When she said, I don't want to go out with you anymore, that's when he started saying, no, no, I'm in control of this, you're not allowed to say that. "
" He actually threatened at one point to put out compromising pictures. We never found out whether they actually existed, but he made the threat and she couldn't get control back. "
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