The director of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has apologised for failings in the case of Simon Levy, a serial sex offender who was released on bail despite being investigated for rape and murder.
Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, conceded that the court deciding on Levy's bail should have been informed of the ongoing investigations. He stated, "I absolutely accept that the court should have had that information, and I’m very sorry indeed."
Levy, 40, received a whole-life sentence this week for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, and Sheryl Wilkins, and the rape of another woman. He was on bail and being monitored by police when he murdered Valencia-Trujillo in March 2025 and Wilkins five months later.
Parkinson explained that details of the investigations were in the system but were not presented to the court during Levy's two bail hearings, which took place on a Saturday. He acknowledged that if Levy had been remanded in custody, he would not have had the opportunity to commit the crimes he did.
The CPS is providing extra resources to prosecutors and will send out offer letters this week to employ more staff, aiming to "minimise the risk" of similar cases recurring.