'Inadequate' police failed to stop rapist; Attacker was allowed to roam by blunders.Byline: Chris Greenwood THE Metropolitan Police were forced to apologise to the victims of a serial sex attacker last night after it was revealed he was not arrested until four years after he became a suspect. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC See IMS Forum. ) will now investigate the Scotland Yard Scotland Yard, headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police. The term is often used, popularly, to refer to one branch, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Named after a short street in London, the site of a palace used in the 12th cent. blunders that allowed predator Kirk Reid to roam the streets of London and continue his spate of attacks for so long. The 44-year-old children's football coach was found guilty of stalking and attacking 25 women during a 12-year period by a jury at Kingston Crown Court yesterday. After nearly 26 hours of deliberations following a six-week trial, the jury of 10 women and two men convicted Reid of 26 attacks, including two rapes. The college head chef, from south London South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. Some neighbourhoods north of the Thames have South London postal codes (SW), but these neighbourhoods are classified as West or Central London. , admitted a further two indecent assaults. Judge Shani Barnes praised the efforts of officers who finally brought Reid to justice after "years of inadequate work" by police. Commander Mark Simmons Mark Simmons is a football player who played collegiately at Kansas. He went undrafted in the 2006 NFL draft, but was signed later as a free agent by the Chargers before being released. He was a record-breaking wide receiver at the University of Kansas from 2002-05. from the Metropolitan Police's territorial policing unit said: "It is clear from the evidence heard in court that the standard of investigation was not what we as an organisation, or the victims, should have expected. "Reid should have been arrested sooner and I, on behalf of the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) and as head of Sapphire, am sorry those women who were subsequently attacked by him have been caused unnecessary suffering." Reid repeatedly slipped through the police net over a number of years. Officers in Wandsworth borough identified that a repeat sex attacker was on the loose in September 2002 and identified Reid as a suspect in February 2004. But despite Reid crossing their radar on several occasions he was not held until January 2008 when Scotland Yard detectives took over the case. Police believe Reid preyed on at least 20 more women during the four-year gap. Reid pounced on his victims as they made their way home from nights out in the Balham, Clapham and Tooting areas of south west London South West London could mean:
Informal divisions of London . Most were between the ages of 20 and 40 but Reid's youngest victim was 17 and the eldest a 61-year-old woman. Reid denied rape, 16 counts of indecent assault, three counts of assault by penetration and six counts of sexual assault. He also denied the unconnected rape on another woman in 1995. Reid, who was cleared of one of the assault charges, will be sentenced on June 5 after undergoing psychiatric assessment. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion