‘I would have wished this man not to be used, but information could not have been obtained in any other way’
PCC BAIRD SPEAKS OUT ON USE OF RAPIST INFORMANT
NORTH East police chief Vera Baird has admitted she wished controversial police informer “XY” had not been necessary as part of Operation Sanctuary.
The Northumbria police and crime commissioner said paying a convicted child rapist to gain information about grooming sex sessions was “a difficult moral decision”.
But she has defended the move by Northumbria Police, saying it “ensured the speedier rescue of vulnerable women”.
The force paid a known child sex offender almost £10,000 to act as an informer as part of Operation Sanctuary but insisted he was not told to attend any parties, known as “sessions”.
The man – who can only be identified as XY – was tasked to help police in the investigation into sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls and women in the West End of Newcastle.
The sex offender was recruited as a police informer despite the fact that, years ago, he had drugged an underage girl and invited another man to rape her after he had done so, it emerged on Wednesday.
Dame Vera said she “would have wished this man not to be used” but is satisfied the information he supplied “could not have been obtained in any other way”.
The North East PCC said the “streets of Newcastle are now safer for women” as a result of Operation Sanctuary, and praised the bravery of victims in coming forward.
A series of trials at Newcastle Crown Court under the banners Operation Sanctuary and Operation Shelter ended this week and reporting restrictions have been lifted.
Successful convictions were obtained for 93 offences of sexual exploitation against vulnerable females, with some related drugs and other offences. These were the outcome of a series of Northumbria Police operations carried out over the past three and a half years into trafficking and sexual exploitation in Newcastle.
During pre-trial hearings at Newcastle Crown Court it was revealed that XY was tasked to help police in Operation Sanctuary.
Dame Vera said: “The decision to use this informant was an operational one, which could only be taken by police.
“However, I have a duty on behalf of the public of Northumbria to hold the chief constable to account for a matter which concerns a sum of public money and an issue of the highest public interest. “I would have wished this man not to be used, in particular because of his conviction for rape. But, I have questioned the chief constable and been in liaison with other senior officers. “Mr Ashman has satisfied me that the difficult moral decision to use the informant was taken with care and with particular regard to the welfare of victims. “I am assured that the information this male supplied has contributed to the investigation and hence to the prosecution of these dangerous men, that it could not have been obtained in any other way, and that it will have ensured the speedier rescue and safeguarding of vulnerable women who would otherwise have continued to suffer abuse.” Dame Vera also singled out for praise 20 victims of sexual exploitation who gave evidence as part of Operation Shelter.
“My thanks, and those of the people of Northumbria, go out today to these brave women for the tremendous fortitude they showed in relating their often appalling experiences to the court and enduring cross examination in order to convict dangerous sex offenders.
“Some victims were as young as 14 years but others who were older were targeted because of other vulnerabilities.”
Dame Vera also said: “This joint work in preventing, disrupting and prosecuting sexual exploitation of the vulnerable will not stop here.
“The streets of Newcastle are now safer for women and girls after the imprisonment of so many perpetrators and the improved awareness of communities to the prevalence of exploitation this operation has brought.
“There are a number of projects underway to make both potential victims and the public ever more aware of the risks of sexual exploitation and to improve safeguarding against it.
“If we continue to work together we can defeat this criminality and root sexual abuse of the vulnerable out of our society entirely.”