More than
26,000 suspected criminals, including alleged rapists and paedophiles,
have gone on the run after being bailed in the past three years, figures
show.
A
member of the Prison Officers' Association said the figures were
shocking and indicated overcrowding in jails is leading to people being
granted bail due to lack of space.
The
information from the Metropolitan Police showed 26,312 suspects who had
disappeared after being released on bail, and covers the London area
only.
Portuguese child rapist Antonio Pedro
De Alves went on the run last month after he was given bail and allowed
to keep his passport while awaiting trial
Steve
Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association said
prison closures and staff cuts have put pressure on the system.
He
told the Mirror: ‘People appear to be getting granted bail to cope with
the lack of space inside our prisons. That isn't right.’
A
spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘The figures include Crown
Court bench warrants, failure to appear magistrates' warrants, breaches
of court orders and orders by other prosecuting agencies that are not
issued by the Metropolitan Police Service.'
The spokesman added: ‘The figures also include those individuals who have subsequently been arrested.
‘The MPS recognises that pre-charge bail decisions impact on victims, witnesses and suspects.
‘We
are committed to maximising every investigative opportunity to bring
offenders to justice swiftly and we aim to finalise investigations
wherever possible during the first period of detention.
‘The
MPS is committed to finding people who fail to attend court or attempt
to evade justice. We will not give up in the search and we will use
every means available to find them. Active operations are in place to
find wanted suspects and bring them back before the courts.’
Fugitive
drug trafficker Mark Lilley (pictured left, being caught last year and
right after being arrested in 1995) went on the run in 2000 when he
skipped bail during a trial and was only caught last year hiding out in
Spain
Yesterday it was revealed that 77 prisoners have escaped from British jails in the last 10 years without being recaptured.
International
drugs traffickers and firearms owners sentenced to life are also among
the absconded prisoners who escaped between April 2004 and March 2014
and remain unlawfully at large, the Ministry of Justice data showed.
Justice
minister Simon Hughes, who released the list, said the number of
escapes has reduced by 80 per cent over the last 10 years.
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