On the loose, PDPs: That’s Potentially Dangerous Persons
Justice backlogs leave accused to roam the streets
SUSPECTS accused of vicious sex attacks and violent crimes are being left to roam the streets even though officials admit they are a risk to the public. People accused of the most serious crimes are usually remanded in custody while awaiting trial.
But the Covid crisis has created a backlog in the justice system, which means many suspects are released on bail into the community.
Authorities are so concerned about so-called Potentially Dangerous Persons (PDPs) that they have ordered them to be monitored by police freed and u
7 abusers social workers.
However, the scheme is already under pressure and campaigners have warned that the public is at risk. And the Scottish Government has confirmed it has no idea how many PDPs are on the loose.
Last month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to monitor convicts had failed in the case of Jason Graham, who was jailed for life after raping and murdering pensioner Esther Brown in her Glasgow home.
Scottish Tory community safety spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘Police union officials are already warning of the pressure around monitoring thousands of convicted sex offenders, so for the Government to admit they don’t know how many PDPs are on the streets is deeply worrying. Esther Brown was murdered by a sex offender who was supposedly being monitored. Nicola Sturgeon conceded the system had failed.
‘More innocent people will be killed unless she and her government prioritise public safety.’
MAPPA brings together police, social work departments, the prison service and NHS to supervise registered sex offenders, restricted patients and extremely violent convicts as they are released into the community. But the South West Scotland annual MAPPA report states: ‘Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a backlog of untried cases has built up. Many people who may in the past have been remanded into custody have been released until their case is heard.
‘Some have been assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm to the public but as they have not been the subject of any trial they are innocent in the eyes of the law.’
Before the pandemic, a person would be charged with a crime then the case would be passed to the courts to decide if they should be bailed or remanded.
But with huge delays in cases brought before sheriffs, suspects are being freed on bail by the police until arguments for and against remand are heard in court. David Hamilton, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: ‘If you increase the demand on a service, you must increase the resources.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Decisions on whether to remand in custody or grant bail are for the courts.’
We’re struggling to keep the public safe from sex offenders who roam the streets
‘I do hope she goes through life protesting like this!’