It's The Law

16 May 2013 13:28

Police may not now [sic] number of sex offenders in Flintshire

"Force say 'information is set up and searchable for our policing purposes' but to find all would be a massive task

POLICE have admitted they may not know exactly how many sex offenders there are in Flintshire.

The Flintshire Chronicle asked how many people in the county have convictions for sex crimes which pre-date public protection systems such as the Sex Offenders Register.

Anyone whose offences were committed before then is not subject to monitoring by police – just like Catherine Gowing’s killer Clive Sharp.

We submitted a Freedom of Information request to see how many untracked sex attackers there are in Flintshire and across North Wales.

But last week North Wales Police said the information wasn’t readily accessible – meaning the force has no way of knowing how many convicted paedophiles [sic] and rapists are living here. The request was refused."

"A North Wales Police spokesman said: “There are systems in place which enable police and other agencies to refer cases into MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) for risk assessment and management.

“If an offender has previously been a Registered Sex Offender, or if their offending took place before the register came into force, an agency can refer them into MAPPA and they can be managed on a multi-agency basis.

“If an offender is convicted now of an offence which was committed before the Sex Offences Act (2003), and provided the offence meets the threshold, they would now be required to register.

“The Criminal Justice Act 2003 repealed earlier legislation. The purpose of these arrangements is to assess and manage the risk posed by the most serious sexual and violent offenders.

“Individuals who were convicted before the sex offender registration came into force would not have been placed on the register and could avoid police and partner agency attention until they behave in a manner which causes concerns for an agency that may refer the person to the MAPPA process.”"

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/police-not-now-number-sex-3862105