LESSONS must be learned from the horrific case of Darren Harkin who walked out of a low-security hospital to rape a young girl in Chepstow.

A damning report out yesterday said an "isolated, inward-looking and incoherent” culture at The Hayes Hospital near Bristol contributed to Harkin leaving and fleeing to attack the teenager in Gwent.

Harkin had previously stabbed his baby stepbrother to death. Why on earth anyone who had carried out such an act was ever in a low-security hospital in the first place baffles us.

And how anybody can see the sense in allowing a dangerous schizophrenic like this to have 30 minutes unescorted leave just defies belief.

Harkin was also allowed to amass a collection of pornographic and horror DVDs while he was at the unit.

From start to finish, there was a catalogue of errors and misjudgements surrounding the handling of Harkin.

Even to this day staff who were supposed to be keeping their eye on Harkin cannot explain how they let him collect pornographic material.

A young girl’s - and that of her family - has been turned completely upside down as a result of blunder after blunder.

The public has a right to expect that such known dangerous people should be kept in an environment where they cannot pose a danger to the public.

We do not except them to be in a place where they seem to be able to do what they want and easily escape to inflict the most horrendous of acts on a teenage girl.

We have yet to hear of anyone losing their job over this but heads must roll at the very highest level for this complete shambles.

None of this however is consolation to that young girl who suffered such a terrifying ordeal.

It should never have happened and we hope those put in charge of Harkin hang their heads in shame.