Context
Following the conviction of eight men for child rape in Keighley, two defendants absconded from their trial and are believed to be abroad. Their exact whereabouts are known within the community.
Question
After the conviction of eight men for a string of horrendous child rapes in my constituency, I would like to be able to inform the Secretary of State that all those men were now serving their just punishment. However, two of them absconded from their trial and are believed to be abroad. It is a shocking failure of the justice system that those men are still walking free. Does the Minister agree that if a dual or foreign national is charged with disgusting child rape crimes, courts should be required to put terms on their bail that prevent them from leaving the country during their trial, so that they cannot walk free after their horrendous, heinous crimes?
Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)
I understand that the case to which the hon. Gentleman refers took place under the last Government, and the men he referred to were tried in absentia. The Home Secretary set out the steps that the Government are taking to tackle the terrible crimes of child sexual exploitation and abuse, including group-based child sexual exploitation. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are legislating to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences, to ensure that it is properly reflected in the sentencing of perpetrators.
Not addressed: The Minister did not address whether courts should impose terms on bail for dual or foreign nationals charged with serious crimes preventing them from leaving the country during their trial.
How: Changing Subject To Broader Policy Initiatives
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