Ministry promises review into Jon Venables' probation

12 April 2012

An official investigation into the probation service's supervision of Jon Venables was announced today amid claims that he should have been returned to jail over his earlier re-offending.

The Ministry of Justice said a "review" of his handling would be carried out under normal procedures enacted whenever an offender who is subject to statutory monitoring commits a serious new offence.

The probe will examine whether any warning signs about Venables's child porn habit should have been spotted, or if there were other indications he was returning to serious criminality. It will also assess a decision by probation staff not to recall him to custody in 2008 under the terms of his parole licence after he was accused of affray and cautioned for possessing cocaine.

The ministry said a curfew had been imposed on Venables after his arrest for affray, over which no charges were brought, and he had been tested for Class A substances, which proved negative, after his drugs caution.

A spokeswoman insisted this showed his previous problems had not been taken lightly, but said a full investigation would now be held into the monitoring of Venables by probation staff, police and others. She added: "Given the high-profile nature of this case it was decided a review would be carried out."

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