Murdered Leah Croucher's family blast 'vague' pledge to tighten tracking of sex offenders

Probation chiefs contiguous said they would transportation retired a section reappraisal of probation services - but Leah's household assertion it whitethorn not halt different families facing the aforesaid heartache they person suffered

The household of murdered Leah Croucher person criticised a Government pledge to tighten supervision of enactment predators, saying a "vague" committedness to reappraisal services whitethorn not beryllium capable to avert different tragedy.

Probation chiefs were warned that failures to way enactment offenders risked different sidesplitting similar that of Leah, 19, who was snatched successful 2019 by fugitive rapist Maxwell, 49. He murdered her and stashed her dismembered assemblage successful a loft, wherever it laic undiscovered for astir 4 years. Leah's parents John, 50, and Claire, 49, called for urgent enactment to "keep others safe" aft a coroner identified failings successful Maxwell's monitoring.

Earlier this twelvemonth Tom Osborne, elder coroner for Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, said Maxwell "was successful breach of the presumption of his probation and was capable to termination Leah erstwhile it was known helium was a predator and a information to females". He called for a "fundamental review" of probation services successful a Prevention of Future Deaths Report (PFDR) pursuing an inquest. Leah's household hoped caller Justice Minister James Timpson would code their fears - but it was alternatively passed to a determination Probation Director. It means immoderate reappraisal would beryllium confined to the Thames Valley area, raising concerns that it would not place flaws crossed the UK.

And successful a connection John and Claire's ineligible squad said they were "deeply acrophobic that this is not being taken earnestly capable by the Police and Probation Service". They said they feared different families could look the aforesaid heartache "as good others who person suffered astatine the hands of known offenders who were inappropriately managed".

Through their ineligible squad astatine Howes Percival, the household said: "This was an accidental to undertake a wholescale reappraisal of the absorption and monitoring of enactment offenders wrong the assemblage and for the caller Labour authorities to measure the authorities of offender absorption and show that they are genuinely committed to ending unit against women, girls and susceptible persons. We person small assurance that the vague, section reviews promised wrong the effect to the coroner volition execute immoderate noticeable, fto unsocial effective, change."

Leah's household faced an agonising four-year hold earlier her severely decomposed assemblage was discovered successful the loft of a location wherever handyman Maxwell, 49, was working. The convicted rapist - who had a "predilection for young females" - killed himself successful a motorcycle shed 2 months aft Leah vanished. At the clip of his decease helium was being hunted by cops implicit an unsolved enactment attack.

But helium had slipped done the nett erstwhile probation officers and constabulary mislaid way of him and failed to measure him arsenic a "high-risk" offender contempt a sickening rap expanse going backmost much than 20 years. John and Clare said they were "haunted" by Leah's last moments successful which Maxwell raped her, dismembered her assemblage and hid her remains successful integrative bags.

Today, responding to the coroner's PFDR, the Regional Probation Director for the South Central Probation Service said it was acknowledged they should "oversee a portion of enactment to reappraisal the effectiveness of the multi-agency processes for monitoring enactment offenders and for accusation speech betwixt constabulary and probation".

But Leah's household said: "We are disappointed that the curate did not instrumentality the accidental to bid a cardinal reappraisal and delegated his work to respond to the Regional Probation Director. Whilst wider Probation and Policing signifier could not beryllium explored during the inquest into Leah’s decease owed to the instrumentality being inadequate to question whether victims similar Leah person had their quality rights breached, the curate was not confined to considering the presumption solely successful narration to Thames Valley. We are acrophobic that these issues are not confined to the Thames Valley country and determination is simply a deficiency of assurance that lessons volition genuinely beryllium learned and disseminated."

Leah disappeared connected February 15 2019, arsenic she walked to enactment successful the Furzton country of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. In full constabulary searched 3,500 houses, carried retired 1,500 lines of inquiry, examined 1,200 documents, 1,600 messages and took 500 statements. But contempt the extended probe, cops made conscionable 1 cursory sojourn to the code wherever Leah's assemblage laic undiscovered for 3 years and 9 months.

The "unremarkable" four-bedroom semi-detached location successful Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, was little than half-a-mile from wherever Leah was past seen alive. Leah's disappearance was excessively overmuch for Hayden, who was diagnosed arsenic bi-polar. He took his ain beingness conscionable 1 time earlier the nine-month day of his half-sister's disappearance. Leah's household person said they are inactive seeking answers astir what enactment was taken to apprehension Maxwell earlier the attack.