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06/03/2008
On The Run 'High Risk Predator' Detained
An escaped convicted rapist, described as a "high risk sexual predator", has been captured after two days on the run.
Mark Thomas Clarke, who went missing during a training course in Nutt's Corner was arrested on the Springfield Road at around 2.00pm on Tuesday afternoon.
Clarke, 40, had been living at home with his parents since the summer of 2007 as part of a pre-release programme.
A sex abuse counselling group, Nexus, said the escape of Mark Thomas Clarke on Tuesday raised serious questions.
A spokesman from Nexus said: "The main issue for us here is, we are led to believe... that this guy was being monitored and supervised by the Prison Service within the community where he was released.
"I would like to think that the Prison Service itself will be carrying out some form of investigation as to who made the decision to release this man into the community at this point."
Clarke was convicted and jailed in 1996 for attempted rape and kidnapping, and given nine and a half years. Clarke committed the offence only 15 months after he was freed early from another conviction for rape for which he served four and a half years under the remission policy.
A plan to end remission for dangerous sex offenders has come before parliament. The existing legislation provides a 50% remission for all prisoners, which entitles them to serve only half of their sentence. The policy could soon be changed for dangerous sex offenders.
See: Remission For Sex Offenders Could End
(DW/JM)
Mark Thomas Clarke, who went missing during a training course in Nutt's Corner was arrested on the Springfield Road at around 2.00pm on Tuesday afternoon.
Clarke, 40, had been living at home with his parents since the summer of 2007 as part of a pre-release programme.
A sex abuse counselling group, Nexus, said the escape of Mark Thomas Clarke on Tuesday raised serious questions.
A spokesman from Nexus said: "The main issue for us here is, we are led to believe... that this guy was being monitored and supervised by the Prison Service within the community where he was released.
"I would like to think that the Prison Service itself will be carrying out some form of investigation as to who made the decision to release this man into the community at this point."
Clarke was convicted and jailed in 1996 for attempted rape and kidnapping, and given nine and a half years. Clarke committed the offence only 15 months after he was freed early from another conviction for rape for which he served four and a half years under the remission policy.
A plan to end remission for dangerous sex offenders has come before parliament. The existing legislation provides a 50% remission for all prisoners, which entitles them to serve only half of their sentence. The policy could soon be changed for dangerous sex offenders.
See: Remission For Sex Offenders Could End
(DW/JM)
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25 January 2010
Sex Attack Victims 'Under Age'
Over half of victims of sex crime in Northern Ireland are under 18. That's according to PSNI figures that show 56% of all victims of reported sex abuse – including rape, indecent assault and indecent exposure – between 2008 and 2009 were under 18, with an average of three sex offences against children recorded every day.
Sex Attack Victims 'Under Age'
Over half of victims of sex crime in Northern Ireland are under 18. That's according to PSNI figures that show 56% of all victims of reported sex abuse – including rape, indecent assault and indecent exposure – between 2008 and 2009 were under 18, with an average of three sex offences against children recorded every day.
14 June 2005
New sex offender procedures revealed
New procedures for assessing and managing sex offenders posing a risk to the public in Northern Ireland have now been established, a new report has said. The report, by the Northern Ireland Sex Offender Strategic Management Committee (NISOSMC), revealed that the number of registered sex offenders in Northern Ireland on 31 March 2005 was 544.
New sex offender procedures revealed
New procedures for assessing and managing sex offenders posing a risk to the public in Northern Ireland have now been established, a new report has said. The report, by the Northern Ireland Sex Offender Strategic Management Committee (NISOSMC), revealed that the number of registered sex offenders in Northern Ireland on 31 March 2005 was 544.
04 March 2008
Remission For Sex Offenders Could End
A plan to end remission for dangerous sex offenders has come before parliament. The policy has been heavily campaigned throughout Northern Ireland for over some time, and the government agreed to end the remission policy for sex offenders over 14 months ago.
Remission For Sex Offenders Could End
A plan to end remission for dangerous sex offenders has come before parliament. The policy has been heavily campaigned throughout Northern Ireland for over some time, and the government agreed to end the remission policy for sex offenders over 14 months ago.
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