Prime Minister Andy Burnham has "personally intervened" to address a potential loophole in the early prison release scheme, which could affect grooming gang perpetrators. The government is "urgently" working to identify any individuals who may still be eligible for early release.
Concerns were raised after reports that men convicted of assaulting children in Bradford, despite a recent promise they would remain incarcerated, were expected to be freed early. No 10 stated it would ensure "everything possible is being done so that vile groomers are dealt with in the way their victims deserve."
Approximately 5,000 people are expected to be released early under new sentencing changes in England and Wales. This figure is down from an initial 6,000 after ministers excluded grooming gang members, rapists, and "serious" child sex offenders from the scheme, which aims to alleviate prison overcrowding. However, critics have questioned the scope of these exemptions.
Some historical grooming gang cases involved offending that occurred before sexual abuse laws changed in 2003. Perpetrators in these cases were charged with crimes such as indecent assault, which does not fall within the current exclusions for the scheme set to begin in October.
A spokesperson for Burnham confirmed that the prime minister had asked the Ministry of Justice to conduct an in-depth review of cases to identify grooming cases, describing this work as urgent. Burnham had previously suspended the scheme in his second week as Prime Minister following pressure from various groups to halt the early release of serious sexual and violent offenders.