IPCC to independently investigate Merseyside Police monitoring of Peter Chapman

Merseyside Police has independently referred its monitoring of convicted sex offender Peter Chapman to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Mr Chapman raped and murdered 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall after befriending her on social networking site Facebook and getting her to agree to meet him.

It has since emerged that Mr Chapman, who was required to be monitored by police as he was on the sex offenders’ register, had left his home on Merseyside without the knowledge of Merseyside Police.

The IPCC will now conduct an independent investigation.

IPCC Commissioner Ms Naseem Malik said: “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.”

Ms Malik added: “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. That is a matter I will be taking up with the force separately.

“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.”