People Are Criticizing This Cartoon In "The Spectator" For Normalizing Stalking

"Two women are murdered every week in the UK due to partner violence. In the US it is three a day. This isn't funny."

A cartoon published in conservative British magazine the Spectator is drawing ire, with many saying it normalizes stalking.

The cartoon depicts two women speaking to each other at a table. "How can I get my stalker to lose interest in me?" asks the first woman.

"Marry him," the second woman responds.

Many people struggled to find humor in the cartoon due to the very serious danger of stalking.

It's funny because two women a week are killed by a current or former partner lolz https://t.co/3S5tHW5tRe

Guardian writer Hadley Freeman tweeted that "two women a week are killed by a current or former partner" in the UK.

Another person pointed out that in the US three or more women are killed by an intimate partner each day.

Two women are murdered every week in the UK due to partner violence. In the US it is 3 a day. This isn't funny. https://t.co/Pyaa4NxTYi

Sophie Walker, the leader of the UK's Women's Equality Party, called stalking "murder in slow motion" and pointed out that only 1% of UK cases are prosecuted.

Stalking is murder in slow motion. 1 percent of cases result in prosecution. Women mainly targeted. Wonder why we d… https://t.co/6VxpIO5xtn

And a UK study determined that 94% of murders involved stalking, said Labour MP Stella Creasy.

94% of murders involved stalking. But its all just bantz really @FraserNelson according to your cartoon? #notcool https://t.co/8gJ3ZnUUqX

Stalking is a criminal offense defined in the US as targeting a specific person with repeated instances of "visual or physical proximity, nonconsensual communication, or verbal, written, or implied threats, or a combination thereof, that would cause a reasonable person fear," according to the National Institute of Justice.

It was made a criminal offense in the UK in 2012.

In response to the cartoon, women are sharing their stories of being stalked, as well as stories of knowing people who've been victims.

The man who stalked me is currently in prison. I'm terrified for my safety when he's released. Thanks for dismissin… https://t.co/dKqtiqyNmH

Shame on the @spectator. I've worked with survivors of stalking who've had their lives ripped apart by this horrifi… https://t.co/7GNLriwr0Z

@spectator I know someone who has a stalker. He terrifies her & her children. I fail to see the humour in this.

Fucking seriously? As someone who has been stalked.... You can fuck right the hell off. https://t.co/RvoF8StrR2

And now, many people are calling on the Spectator to retract the cartoon and issue an apology.

Err @spectator - you really need to withdraw this cartoon. And Editor & cartoonist need to read the comments & refl… https://t.co/BlHTbPPeG5

this is bad. and tasteless. and tone-deaf. delete your account please. https://t.co/QmcbjgXbQv

Unbelievable u can do better @spectator stalking is not humorous women are killed every day! Remove & apologise 😡No… https://t.co/Tg8rsh9oTc

Sal Brinton, the president of Britain's Liberal Democrats, called upon the magazine's editor, Fraser Nelson, to not only to retract the cartoon and apologize, but to also publish a piece on the dangers of stalking.

@spectator @FraserNelson You are better than this. Please delete it online & apologise. You might want to run an ar… https://t.co/OoZFzNAwFC

Nelson and Spectator representatives did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Skip to footer