On the 4 and 5 May 2019 Joseph McCann physically and sexually assaulted several women and children across the North West of England. His horrific offences included abduction, rape and sexual assault.

Jonathan Bridge of Farleys Solicitors is representing various of his victims in an action against the Ministry of Justice. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probate has today published an Independent Review of the case. This follows on from the highly critical Probation Serious Further Offence Review released in March of this year.

In concluding his report HM Chief Inspector of Probation, Justin Russell accepts that the public is entitled to expect that the Authorities will do their job properly when supervising an offender in the community. He confirms that this did not happen in this case with mistakes and poor judgment by several individuals allowing McCann to commit these offences.

Jonathan Bridge comments:-

I have spoken with various of the victims who have read this report and have expressed their anger and disappointment at the Probation Service failings.

“The report repeatedly notes that public protection is a crucial part of Probation. The emphasis in McCann’s case however seemed to be on keeping him out of prison rather than recalling him as the National Probation Service should have done. One of the victims has expressed her particular concern that the police intelligence had highlighted the threat posed by McCann to such an extent that the supervising officer’s true identity was withheld from him. Whilst there seems to be an emphasis on protecting Probation staff from the obvious risk posed by McCann there was no similar concern by the National Probation Service for the public.

“The victims have all expressed their desire that the National Probation Service learn from their mistakes in this case and that these are never repeated again.

“It is absolutely clear that had the Probation Service done their job properly McCann would have been in prison and his victims would not have suffered the horrific abuse and life changing psychiatric injuries that they did.”