The Metropolitan Police has revealed that a 17-year-old boy was released on bail five times between June and September this year despite being repeatedly arrested over alleged robberies, indecent images of children and breaches of his electronic tag.
Detectives said the teenager’s alleged offending included two robberies, making and distributing indecent images of children, and two breaches of electronic-tag conditions. Four of the further arrests took place while he was already on court bail, and he was reported missing three times while wearing the tag.
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Repeatedly arrested, repeatedly released
The case was disclosed by the force on Friday, a day after Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley publicly criticised the criminal justice system. Rowley spoke out after the jailing of Zafer Dogan, 32, who received 28 months at Wood Green Crown Court for AI-generated indecent images of children after being repeatedly bailed to his Enfield flat overlooking a playground. The commissioner argued the system too often fails to put victims’ safety first.
Detectives worked 23-hour shifts reviewing images and gathering evidence against the teenager as the arrests mounted, in a painstaking effort to build cases that would keep him off the streets.
The case was first reported by The Times.
His most recent arrest came on suspicion of making indecent images of children. He was charged with further offences and remanded to appear in court — but was granted bail once again.
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‘Incredibly frustrating’ for officers
The investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Wes Kalam, said: “Our officers have repeatedly arrested this individual, put him before the courts and presented the risks we believe he poses. It is incredibly frustrating for those officers to see him repeatedly released on bail, only to be arrested again for further alleged offending or breaches. We continually work to make decisions which prioritise victim safety, but when an individual we have arrested and remanded is released back into the community, it both limits the impact we can have and increases the risk to the public.”
The force said the cycle of arrest and release had left officers demoralised and limited the protection they could offer victims.
What happens next
The teenager is due to be sentenced for one robbery and the indecent-image offences. He is awaiting trial over a second robbery, which he is alleged to have committed.
The disclosure is likely to intensify the debate over bail decisions for young suspects accused of serious offences, amid a wider row between the Met and the courts over keeping the public safe, and over who bears responsibility when alleged offenders are freed to commit further crimes.
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