MERSEYSIDE Police were last night criticised for failing to contact the Independent Police Complaints Commission sooner over their handling of the disappearance of a serial sex attacker.
The police watchdog said it was “disappointed” that the force had not contacted them last year.
Merseyside Police took nine months to issue a national alert that Peter Chapman, whom they were meant to be monitoring, had vanished from his home in Kirkby.
He went on to rape and murder a 17-year-old girl in County Durham whom he tricked on Facebook..
The force carried out an internal review of their actions when Chapman was arrested, but only on Monday, after Chapman had been jailed for a minimum of 35 years, referred itself to the IPCC.
The organisation is now independently investigating how Merseyside Police monitored Chapman.
IPCC Commissioner Ms Naseem Malik said: “It is disappointing this matter has only come to the IPCC’s attention at this late stage.
“This is a matter that should have been referred to the IPCC as soon as Merseyside Police became aware of the issues last year.
“My sympathies go out to Ashleigh’s family and friends. I cannot imagine how devastating Ashleigh’s murder must have been for them and I fully understand their anger at the belief that Chapman should not have been in a position to commit this terrible crime.
“Our investigators will undertake a thorough review of how Merseyside Police monitored Chapman, what intelligence and information was available about him, and what actions were taken when it was established he was missing.
“It is important that, if there are lessons to be learned from this situation, they are shared with police forces nationally.
“I appreciate our investigation is too late for Ashleigh’s parents. They have lost a daughter they loved in horrific circumstances.
“All I can say to them is that if it is possible for any small sliver of hope to come out of this, it will be for lessons to be learned that might prevent such a situation happening again ”
Merseyside Police last night refused to comment.
