900 convicted prisoners have disappeared

 

Additionally data from 16 Police Forces showed 913 offenders are no longer on the radar of the authorities. It is feared that these criminals may have changed their names without informing the police, contravening their legal obligation to do so.

 

Emily Konstantas from the Safeguarding Alliance said, "When we first started looking into this, we couldn't quite believe it. This is a flaw in the current legal system and it's a flaw that's going to be exploited."

 

Ms Konstantas added that sex offenders can "erase their past" by changing their name, they can obtain a new driving licence and a new passport, which can allow them to go "under the radar of all of the authorities".

 

It can take as little as 15 minutes for a name change by deed poll, and as it becomes harder for their criminal history to be discovered, the practice is allegedly common among sex offenders.

 

Campaigners have warned that although it is illegal for people on the sex offenders' register to change their name and not inform authorities this is not a strong enough deterrent to stop criminals from doing so. 

 

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which is responsible for conducting background checks on potential employees, has said it does not perform any background checks concerning applicants changing their name by deed poll.

 

A spokesman for the Home Office said, "We are determined to prevent serious criminals from hiding their pasts and will not tolerate sex offenders trying to evade the justice system. Sex offenders who fail to tell police of a name change already face tough prison sentences. "We are working with the courts and DBS to ensure measures are strengthened … in order to protect the public."

 

 

The Johnson Partnership

Barnsley Crime Solicitors