Cost of policing perverts is still a mystery

Local & National

Monday, March 24, 2008

By Deborah McAleese

More than 700 convicted paedophiles and sex offenders are being monitored in the community, but the Government is unable to say how much it is costing the public purse.

New figures show that a total of 757 monitored sex offenders are living across the province - including six who the authorities believe pose a high risk to public safety - and 115 are currently in jail waiting to be released into community supervision.

However, Policing and Justice Minister Paul Goggins has told parliament it is "difficult to quantify" the financial expenditure of managing those sex offenders who pose a recognised risk.

When quizzed by the MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, Mr Goggins said: "The delivery of offender-specific risk management plans, through the current multi-agency sex offender risk assessment and management (MASRAM) arrangements, makes varying demands on a number of agencies, such as police, prisons, probation, social services and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which would be difficult to quantify for each individual agency."

It recently emerged that £50,000 a week - £7,142 a day - was being spent to monitor notorious sex offender Eamon Foley on his release from jail.

In comparison the average cost per prisoner in Ulster's jails is £236.41, according to a report by Kit Chivers, the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, last year.

However, Foley is one of the most dangerous sex offenders on the streets and it is unlikely that this level of cost is spent in the majority of cases.

New statistics show that more community-managed paedophiles and sex offenders are living in south Belfast than anywhere else in the province and the number is on the increase.

A total of 116 of the 757 monitored sex offenders are residing there - an increase of 18 from August last year, according to information released in parliament to MP David Simpson.

The authorities believe two of the offenders pose a serious risk of harm to others.

The high proportion is attributed to the transient nature of an area brimming with flats and rental accommodation.

North Belfast has the second highest number with 56 cases - including another two highly dangerous offenders - and Londonderry follows with 51.

Currently sex offenders, unless sentenced to life in prison, are automatically released from jail under 50% remission.

However, following the introduction of new legislation in May - following the Telegraph's Justice For Attracta campaign calling for an end to 50% remission for sex offenders and violent criminals - the policy will be scrapped. Those deemed to be a risk to the public will not be released until the authorities believe the risk has been reduced.