Zara Aleena: Coroner tells Met and Probation Service to improve

The coroner added the probation delivery unit responsible for managing McSweeney had been “understaffed”, with staffing levels of 61% in 2022, and 58% at the time of the inquest in June 2024.

The low staffing levels had a negative impact upon:

“The inquest heard this is a national problem and there are other probation delivery units with even lower levels of staffing,” Ms Persaud said.

Her report said understanding around risk assessment was “poor” within the service, and “there was a lack of professional curiosity and a lack of sufficient probing into information relevant to risk”.

“A restraining order had been put in place against the offender, but this was not highlighted, as it should have been,” she wrote.

“Key staff involved in assessing and managing the offender were unaware of the restraining order.”