Lewis Jones, a 23-year-old man from Liverpool, was able to perpetrate a violent and prolonged sexual assault on a six-year-old girl in Manchester due to police failings and workload pressures, according to information obtained by the BBC. Merseyside Police had been investigating Jones since 2020 for grooming and sexually abusing a vulnerable child before he attacked the young victim in woodland in August 2022.
An internal police review highlighted a series of errors in the handling of the earlier case involving Jones. It revealed that the investigation had been left without proper supervision for over 18 months, allowing Jones to continue his predatory behavior unchecked. Merseyside Police admitted to referring itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and implemented several changes to improve the oversight and management of investigations into sexual offenses.
Following Jones’s sentencing to life in prison for his crimes, the judiciary criticized the delays in bringing the offender to justice. The review indicated that staffing pressures within the force impacted the Unity and Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) teams responsible for investigating rape and sexual offenses. The ongoing case against Jones had suffered from a lack of progress in gathering evidence and reviewing critical information, ultimately leading to further delays in prosecution.
Jones, who was eventually recognized by his father in CCTV images circulated by Greater Manchester Police, was apprehended and brought to a police station. The sentencing judge emphasized the deep trauma suffered by the six-year-old victim as a result of the horrific assault. Merseyside Police stated that significant changes had been introduced following the review, including the establishment of dedicated teams to expedite investigations into sexual offenses and improve the handling of similar cases in the future
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
