26 February 2024 , 10:55
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A true-crime docuseries has left Brits 'traumatised' - and hungry for justice.
Can I Tell You a Secret? launched on Netflix last week (February 21), and follows the story of one of the UK's most prolific cyberstalkers. The two-part series profiles three victims subjected to relentless harassment by Matthew Hardy - who used fake social media profiles to 'spread relationship-ending lies about them'.
Some of Hardy's victims were so frightened by his psychological warfare they slept with weapons to feel safe, and although he was prosecuted by the police for his actions - it took more than a decade to get him jailed. The Netflix show, based on Sirin Kale's investigation for The Guardian, dives into the victims' dragging path to justice and has sparked national outrage.
"Three women's lives are changed forever when a prolific stalker infiltrates their social media accounts. And they're only a fraction of his many victims," the show's description reads. "In the face of mounting evidence and an ever-growing number of victims, how did Hardy manage to get away with his crimes for over a decade?"
Upon watching the show, which quickly climbed to the top of Netflix's charts, hundreds of social media users were left terrified. "Can I Tell You a Secret? on Netflix is haunting, and highlights the endemic of police failing female victims of crime," one person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter ).
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Another commented: "It's absolutely terrifying, I'm only one episode in but it's CRAZY." While a third added: "This Can I Tell You a Secret? documentary is terrifying. As someone who uses social media to share a lot of my life, it really has frightened me into what I do and don't share going forward."
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Who is Matthew Hardy?
From Cheshire, Hardy was a cyberstalker who had been arrested a staggering 10 times with charges related to 'impersonation and stalking' before targeting the women affected in Can I Tell You a Secret? It is thought that between 2011 and 2022, the man stalked more than 62 women.
According to The Guardian, Hardy would message women with the opening line "Can I tell you a secret?" before claiming to have private information about their life - such as adultery or talking behind a friend's back. If the woman blocked the anonymous messenger, they'd received 'incessant calls from someone breathing down the phone'.
The stalker then spread lies about the victims to friends, family and colleagues - and would also pose as the victim while having sexually explicit conversations. Hardy even stole initial photographs of one victim - and caused women to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety. In January 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for five counts of stalking.
Have you seen Can I Tell You A Secret? Let us know what you thought of the Netflix hit in the comments section below