CRAIG SWEENEY: Lessons learned after he sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl have not been fully implemented, says watchdog
GWENT'S multi-agency protection service has failed to make sufficient progress in the wake of the horrific case of a known paedophile sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl, a new report says.
Official watchdogs said Gwent Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangement (Mappa) had failed to implement some frontline changes to help keep the public safe from dangerous offenders.
In December 2006 , an independent report into the handling of the case of Craig Sweeney highlighted a series of Mappa blunders and made a number of recommendations for improvement.
Sweeney, who was living on Caerleon Road, Newport, abducted and sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl from Cardiff on January 2, 2006, just two days after the end of his post-release licence.
In a new report published today, Chief Inspector of Probation, Andrew Bridges, concluded: "We were not satisfied that the Mappa systems were effective.''
Mr Bridges said: "We found that there has undoubtedly been much well-intentioned activity by probation, police and others to improve those processes which had not previously been working to the best effect.
"Regrettably, these intentions have not been matched by progress on the ground.
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"Despite the positive spirit and commitment of the Mappa strategic management board, the good intentions have not yet led to sufficiently robust practice.''
His report found assessment and management of the risk of harm posed by offenders was unsatisfactory.
He said the "knowledge, skills and confidence'' of probation officers and managers were also insufficient.
In a sample, 14 per cent of offenders assessed for the risk of harm they posed to the public had been placed in the wrong category, the report went on.
Sweeney is now serving a life sentence but will be free to apply for parole in 2011.
Mappa statement:
A Gwent Mappa statement said: "The inspection focussed on the efforts of one partner within MAPPA, and therefore does not report the progress being made by Gwent MAPPA as a whole.
"While we are somewhat disappointed at the conclusions arrived at by the Inspectors with regard to front line practice within the Probation Service, we welcome its acknowledgement of our joint commitment to improving public protection arrangements."
"We will carefully consider all of the report's findings and will adopt its recommendations positively in order to ensure continuous service improvement, thereby reducing the risk of those under our supervision causing harm in our communities."
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