Maggie Oliver at UnHerd on the continuing farce of early release for the grooming gang rapists:
“Here we go again!” That’s what I find myself thinking as I watch the latest “confusion” surrounding the early release of serious sexual offenders and murderers. Another headline. Another announcement. Another promise. Then, within days, another clarification, as it becomes clear that the “experts” making the announcements hadn’t fully understood the law to start with.
The recent case of Shabir Ahmed, ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang, illustrates the problem perfectly. His victims were repeatedly told he would be deported upon being released from prison, only to discover that a decades-old legal provision meant this had never actually been possible, with the Government scrambling to find a work-around. And now, we see the same pattern over early release. Grand announcements are made, that serious child sex offenders will not leave prison early — only for the public to discover that the law excludes offenders whose crimes were committed before 2003.
Surely the lawyers and ministers making these high-profile announcements should know the law before standing in front of the cameras? After all, these are hardly obscure technicalities that emerge from nowhere. They are fundamental legal provisions that should already be understood. Though perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised that when Whitehall concocts policy on the hoof, reality is quick to catch up.
All this does more than expose incompetence. It also erodes public confidence in the Government and criminal justice system, with the wider public left wondering whether anyone in power actually knows what they are doing. I certainly wonder it too….
None of this is new. For over a decade, I’ve watched politicians, police forces and public institutions react to events instead of planning for them. I’ve seen point-scoring replace careful thought, and comms take precedence over honest accountability. Governments appear desperate to look decisive and capable, yet too often the detail just isn’t there.
And, through it all, it’s impossible not to reflect on our new prime minister. Today, Andy Burnham speaks passionately about stopping serious sexual offenders from leaving prison early. Few would argue with his words. But where was that determination when, as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he had both the opportunity and responsibility to hold Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to account for catastrophic failures — failures that allowed hundreds of children to be abused?
He talks a good talk, Andy Burnham. He’s going to stop early release of rapists and killers. He’s going to stop the asylum-seeker boats coming in. He’s going to make sure that all sausage rolls contain at least 80% best-quality pork. He’s going to solve all the problems…
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