'Monitored' teenage sex offender abused Vale child (From Barry And District News)

'Monitored' teenage sex offender abused Vale child

7:40am Thursday 9th July 2009

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A TEENAGE sex offender monitored by the Vale Council and police has been detained under the Mental Health Act after admitting raping a young boy.

An investigation is taking place after the 16-year-old, who was already on the sex offenders’ register, admitted assaulting the boy six years his junior for three years, from the age of seven.

The teenager, who is said to suffer from a personality disorder and schizophrenia, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court last week, where he was detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital.

He was also banned from working or having unsupervised contact with children under 16.

The younger boy told the court he was threatened with a penknife if he didn’t do what he was told.

It has emerged that the Vale Council’s Youth Offending Service (YOS) and the police were aware that the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had four years previously been convicted of a sexual offence involving a 12-year-old.

The offender moved to the area after a youth court in England gave him a referral following the previous sexual offence in 2004.

Multi-agency public protection arrangements, managed by police, were put in place and the Vale Council’s YOS, a partnership comprising of probation and police officers, drug misuse professionals and social and educational and health workers, monitored him.

It was decided no further action was required when the teenager completed his required supervision in July 2007.

The Local Safeguarding Children’s Board has now requested a review of the case.

And Vale AM Jane Hutt has asked for a meeting with the Vale council leader, the minister for Social Services and the chief inspector for Social Services in Wales.

South Wales Central AM Chris Franks said he had called for more openness and scrutiny of the Vale Council’s Social Services department, following another case of a teenager under supervision being found guilty of sex offences.

But Vale Council operational manager Beverley Noon said the two cases were very different.

“This is a multi agency issue, not a matter for the council alone,” she said.

“It is totally inappropriate to compare the circumstances of this case with the recent social services incident.

“As a member of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) the council is co-operating fully in reviewing what happened in 2006 and 2007, as are other local agencies.

“As the 2004 offence was of a sexual nature, the boy was referred to a specialist service for young people. “The conclusion of their assessment in June 2007 was that further intervention was unnecessary and that he did not require anything other than the current level of support and supervision being offered to him by the YOS.

“He completed the period of supervision as required in July 2007 and the council’s involvement ceased.”

Philip Evans, Vale Council Director of Social Services and chair of the LSCB said: “The Board expects the reports from all the agencies to be completed soon, including any lessons to be learned and recommendations for action.

“These reports will be considered by the Board when finalised.”

The Vale Council earlier this year apologised to a family after Cardiff Crown Court heard a 19-year-old paedophile had abused their children after he was placed in their care as part of the council’s adult placement scheme.

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