How Do You Stop a Stalker From Killing You?

Some women take extreme measures to avoid their harassers.

"A restraining order is nothing but a piece of paper," said Cheryl Shuman, who went underground and created her own identity, getting a false driver's license and passport, after she continued to receive threats.

"I'm alive today because of what I did," said Shuman, who works in product placement in the entertainment industry. "I really believe that I wouldn't be here if I hadn't taken the measures I had."

Shuman's advice: Keep a video journal that documents your experiences, tell as many people as possible, keep a dialogue with local reporters about what's going on, try to find a domestic violence shelter and, "Get the hell away him."

Bureaucratic incompetence may even put the petitioner in harm's way. Last month, Natasha Ramen was allegedly stabbed and killed outside her home by Hemant K. Megnath.

Although previously charged with raping her, Megnath had been released on $5,000 bail and the judge had issued an order of protection. Several months later, Megnath allegedly threatened to kill Ramen and her husband, and he was arrested on charges of aggravated harassment. Megnath remained a free man because a prosecutor failed to warn the judge in the case. He is now in police custody.

There are no definitive federal statistics on violations of restraining orders, but experts believe that such orders deter violence in 85 percent of cases. For the remaining 15 percent, which involve thousands of victims across the country, the results can be painful if not tragic.

In Massachusetts, 28,760 orders of protection were issued during the calendar year 2005. In about 15 percent of those cases -- 4,347 adults -- defendants were arraigned for violating those orders. Almost 88 percent of the violators were male.

"Studies have shown that they're pretty effective," said Kenneth J. Theisen, who runs Bay Area Legal Aid, which has served 14,000 orders since 1984.

According to an independent study of its clients, 69 percent said that violence had stopped altogether, 19 percent said that violence had decreased and 11 percent said that it had stayed the same or had increased.