Rapist not monitored due to troubled police IT problems

GMP announced in March 2022 that it would be replacing part of the £60m iOPS system, but it remains unclear when that change will be completed.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct found the actions of two police officers involved in the case “fell below the expected standard” but stopped short of recommending disciplinary proceedings.

The case has highlighted concerns about the increasing pressure on police teams responsible for monitoring registered sex offenders.

Figures showed there were 70,052 registered sex offenders in England and Wales at the end of March 2024, an increase of 52% since 2014.

Former Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon said the number of offenders needing to be supervised was “huge” and would “keep on growing”.

In 2023, Mr Creedon published an independent review into how police monitored sex offenders in the community, calling for a greater focus on the most dangerous criminals.

He said there was only a “small cohort” who presented a very high risk and “those are the ones we should concentrate effort and resource on”.

“The volume [of offenders] and the bureaucracy can swamp resources so much that they’re not able to concentrate on the high-risk ones,” he added.

The Home Office said violence against women and girls was a “national emergency” and the government had made “several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual violence”.