Rape victim forced to live just minutes from abuser after government failings

A rape victim has been forced to live just minutes from her attacker – despite assurances from the government that a plan would be put in place before his release to prevent them coming into contact.

Christopher Lawson, who was jailed for 16 years in 2017 for the rape and indecent assault of a girl from the age of eight, was released on parole last week after serving half his sentence.

As part of the terms of his release, he has been made the subject of an exclusion zone, which prohibits him from going to a particular place or area.

But the zone is just several streets wide, with a number of key amenities that are close to both the victim and the perpetrator’s homes not included.

Ahead of his release, local MP Kate Osborne requested an urgent review on behalf of the victim, citing concerns that it would be “almost impossible for the [victim and the perpetrator] not to come into contact”.

“I also wish for this matter to be brought to the personal attention of the Secretary of State, as I believe there is significant public interest in this case”, Ms Osborne wrote in a letter to prisons minister James Timpson.

In his response, seen by The Independent, Lord Timpson vowed that Lawson would “only be released once the Probation Service have put in place a plan to manage him safely”.

He said officials in the Ministry of Justice were “working with the Probation Service to ensure that both the exclusion zone and planned release address for Lawson are able to function in a safe way”, promising that the victim would be kept “updated regarding the exclusion zone licence condition”.

But Lawson was released before any changes to the exclusion zone were made.

The exclusion zone has since been marginally expanded to include a few more streets, but Ms Osborne argues it is still “nowhere near wide enough” as the victim and her attacker will still be forced to exist in close proximity.

The victim said the trauma of the abuse she suffered from Lawson had “affected every single part of my life”.

“I have lived in constant fear, bewilderment, shame and horror at what has happened to me and still do to this day and feel I will for many years to come”, she said in an impact statement.

She told The Independent: "He has to be allowed access to his house, he has to be able to go through his day to day life... but he has got more rights than me, he’s had more support and he has more rights.”

The woman said there had been numerous failings throughout the process of Lawson’s release. She was initially told he would not be fitted with a location tag, meaning she spent days afraid to leave the house only to be later told that he was in fact tagged.

She was also wrongly told by her victim liaison officer that if she were to request a review of the exclusion zone she could face legal action from Lawson and have it removed entirely. But Ms Osborne has since received assurances from the justice department that this is not the case.

It is understood that the Probation Service had not received a formal application for an exclusion zone extension by Lawson’s release date.

Ms Osborne, the MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, said her constituent had been “badly let down” and exposed “significant flaws in the justice system”. She added the victim must be supported to be able to live her life without fear.

It comes after the prime minister was forced to defend plans to release some criminals on recall earlier to ease jail overcrowding after ministers faced a backlash over concerns for victim and public safety.

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes were necessary to curb overcrowding as she warned jails are on track to be down to “zero capacity” by November.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Victims must feel safe which is why offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions such as such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims.

“Victims who qualify for the Probation Service’s statutory Victim Contact Scheme have the right to make representations about licence conditions that relate to them.”