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Child murderer Colin Pitchfork’s parole hearing to be held in private, leaving MP baffled

2024-07-20 00:00:00.0 每日快报-政治原网页

Colin Pitchfork and (right) Alberto Costa speaking in the House of Commons (Image: Police handout/Parliament TV)

The parole hearing for convicted child rapist and murderer Colin Pitchfork will be held behind closed doors after all, an MP campaigning against his release has revealed.

Alberto Costa has also sharply criticised Caroline Corby, chairwoman of the Parole Board, for not contacting him to inform him of the abrupt change.

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Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were both aged 15 when Pitchfork raped and murdered them (Image: Police handout)

Alex Chalk, the former Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, then applied to the Parole Board asking it to reconsider its controversial June decision to release Pitchfork. The Parole Board agreed to this request and a fresh Parole hearing took place in November 2023 when it agreed with the minister that it would be irrational to release Pitchfork and his parole was denied.

But in a bizarre twist, Pitchfork himself applied to the Parole Board in December asking that it reconsider the so-called 'reconsidered decision' not to release him. The Parole Board agreed to his request, paving the way for yet another fresh hearing before a different panel.

Tory MP for South Leicestershire Mr Costa, has been closely involved in efforts to keep Pitchfork behind bars, and specifically in attempts to ensure the hearing is held in public to ensure “greater transparency”.

He told Express.co.uk: “Within a few days of the general election being called, I received a letter from Ms Corby confirming that the next parole hearing, which was scheduled for the second week of July, would be held in public so my application to the parole board was successful.

Former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (Image: Getty)

“The election was called and out of the blue, we heard that that scheduled parole hearing was postponed, because some other evidence had come to light.”

Mr Costa then wrote to the board to ask whether this postponement would compromise its adjudication on his request to hold the hearing in public, and received reassurances that it would not.

He added: “Then, also out of the blue, we were just informed the other day by way of a news statement saying that there has been new evidence in respect of his risk assessment, which has come to light as I understand during his period of recent incarceration and accordingly, the hearing will no longer be held in public."

Mr Costa, who admitted he found the latest developments “baffling”, on Thursday raised the subject in the House of Commons with the leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell, who in turn promised to mention the matter to Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood.

He added: “I think what this case highlights is yet again, the public is utterly confused and perplexed why the parole board rules allow endless chopping and changing to the way in which Mr Pitchfork’s case is administered.”

To illustrate his point, Mr Costa pointed out that it had been Ms Corby herself who had initially contacted him inviting him to apply for a public hearing, in what he had taken as a strong indication that such a request would be granted - which indeed it was.

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Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (Image: Getty)

He added: “I thought it was deeply discourteous of the chairwoman not to have had the courtesy of emailing me and saying that my original application, which she had upheld and agreed to, was all of a sudden turned on its head.

“That doesn’t just show deep discourtesy, it shows very poor administration if they cannot update the principal Member of Parliament, who's been actively involved in this matter for over eight years.”

Mr Costa, a lawyer by profession, also emphasised the magnitude of what Pitchfork was originally convicted of.

He stressed: “This is somebody who's guilty of some of the worst imaginable crimes against young women whom he brutally raped and strangled.

“Let’s not forget that this man had exposed himself to over 200 women. We're dealing with somebody that really is a deeply disturbed individual.”

In response to a request for comment, the Parole Board referred Express.co.uk to a statement issued last week.

The Parole Board have reversed the decision to hold Colin Pitchfork's hearing in public.

Why is the Parole Board acting in a manner which creates confusion and a lack of trust in the system?

My question to the new Leader of the House this morning. ?????? pic.twitter.com/PknmubLeLX

— Alberto Costa MP - South Leicestershire (@AlbertoCostaMP) July 18, 2024

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In it, a spokesperson said: “A panel of the Parole Board held a directions hearing for Colin Pitchfork on Wednesday 10 July. At that directions hearing the panel and both parties discussed how best to receive evidence in respect of fresh allegations in the case. This included the submission of new material to the panel which relates to risk.

“We regret that as a result of material changes in circumstances, there has had to be a change of decision in relation to the nature of the hearing, which will no longer be held in public. It has been caused by unforeseeable developments including fresh allegations in respect of relatively recent conduct.”

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