Grooming gang rapist released without survivor being told

The abuser has since been charged with serious violent offences, which the survivor only discovered after seeing it announced on a police force’s social media channels.

The victim said: "So two people have so far been released from prison, and I was informed of one of them getting released, but not another.

"I wasn't told about either of them until I'd already seen it on Facebook. And then the liaison officers got in touch with me at a later date to confirm it."

She added: "They need to start looking at a case-by-case basis, looking at criminal history and the risk of re-offending because these people have repeatedly offended their whole lives and they're still getting out after the sentencing."

The survivor told GB News that her victim liaison officer had apologised to her for the oversight.

The victim said: "He said all he could do was apologise, that I'd found out that way, and he had sent a letter to me that would be with me in the next few days for a victim impact statement."

• Keir Starmer SIGNS £10bn Chagos 'surrender' deal as Labour caves to international law
• Timothy West's cause of death confirmed six months after legendary actor died at the age of 90
• Train crashes into tractor on level crossing as six left injured in horror collision

She also claimed that when she contacted them for more details, she was informed that her case had been closed rather than transferred to a new area after she moved homes.

She said: "So I informed him I was moving, and they said that they would transfer with care to the local authority of where I was moving to.

"Instead of doing that, they closed the case down after a certain amount of time, I realised I'd had no contact.

"And that was a bit suspicious because I probably should have done so a few weeks ago.

"I started ringing around, and then that's when I was informed that the second person had already been released."

She also told the People’s Channel that she has still not been informed of the offender’s license conditions following his release.

"And then by the time I spent a week trying to ring the victim liaison officer, and by the time I got through, I'd already found out he'd been charged with another offence and was being recalled back to prison."

GB News understands that the VLO lost contact due to contact details changing.

The victim was then asked whether she thought the police and the probation services take the safety of survivors seriously enough.

In a damning assessment of the Government, she said: "No. So in the beginning, um, they were released on bail, even though some of them failed to attend bail.

"They got the one that failed to attend, got remanded in prison. Then he got released again on bail, too, pending a court date.

"So as it stands, you have no confidence that the victim liaison system works and that you'll be informed properly when perpetrators are released."

And whether pressed by GB News' National Reporter Charlie Peters about whether that could put her at risk, she replied: "Yeah, especially like the most recent one that he's being charged with is it's a severe crime.

"It's a very violent crime. So that just shows how much danger I could have been in without even knowing that I was in danger, because I didn't even know he wasn't in prison."

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "This was a horrific crime, and our thoughts remain with his victim.

"Victims must feel safe, which is why offenders released on licence must follow strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims.

"They face going back to prison if they break the rules."