Serious failings by probation board allowed serial rapist Joseph McCann to go on 15 day rape rampage

An independent review of the case was ordered by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and carried out by Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell, of which the report has just been released.

It laid bare repeated errors in failing to recall McCann to prison despite him posing a major risk to the public.

McCann, who lived just yards from a school in Aylesbury was left with 'free reign' to attack victims after he was released from prison due to 'major failings' by an 'unstable' and 'inexperienced' probation staff.

He lived just yards from St Louis School in AylesburyThe report says officials were informed that McCann bore all the hall marks of a sex offender in 2011, but officers missed over EIGHT chances to keep him in jai.

The 34-year-old dealt with 10 staff over the 11 years he was known to authorities and had three different probation officers in the months before he was wrongly released from prison in February 2019.

He went on to rape, abduct and assault 11 women and children between the ages of 11 and 71 in a terrifying 15-day rampage two months later.

On 6 December 2019 Joseph McCann was given 33 life sentences at the Old Bailey for a series of violent sexual attacks which he committed between 21 April and 6 May last year.

At a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) meeting in 2011, the Police shared information which dated back to 2003 suggesting Joseph McCann might pose a risk of sexual harm and exploitation to teenage girls.

However he was released, and over 15 days, he abducted, raped and assaulted victims aged between 11 and 71 in Watford, London and the North West.

Weeks before he carried out the attacks in Watford, London and the North West of England, he was automatically released from jail due to a probation service mistake, the review found.

But had he been recalled to prison, he would have been kept behind bars until a parole board decided he was safe to release, it said.

Mr Russell said in the report: "McCann was managed by an unstable team, lacking experienced and skilled practitioners.

"They suffered from poor management oversight, high workloads, poor performance and high staff turnover."

"Crucial information, recorded on different systems by various authorities, was lost" in handovers between staff."

However the key aspect in McCann falling through the cracks was the lack of transparency between prison departments, staff simply did not share documents about the risks McCann posed.

This meant they didn't have a 'clear picture' of who they were dealing with, making decisions based on 'inadequate' assessments.

McCann should have been given a bed in a bail hostel where he could be regularly monitored, but instead he was allowed to stay with family where close checks on him weren't possible, the review found.

You can read out initial report back in March here. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said in response: "These were horrendous crimes and we have apologised to the victims for the unacceptable failings in this case.

"We have greatly improved information sharing between prisons and probation officers and all probation staff have received new, mandatory training on when offenders should be recalled."

They added that they were training 800 new staff in response to the report.

During his trial at the Old Bailey last year, the court heard how McCann forced two 14-year-old girls into a car by threatening to "chop them up" with a machete.

He also tricked his way into the home of a lady he met in a bar in Manchester, tied her up and molested her children, aged 17 and 11.

He was found guilty of 37 charges relating to 11 victims, including eight rapes, false imprisonment and kidnap.

The second part of the review into his case is due to be published in the autumn.