Victims were “grossly failed” by the decision to bail a paedophile to his flat overlooking a children’s playground, London’s Victims’ Commissioner has said.
asserted
Commissioner → fail → playground
Zafer Dogan, 32, was jailed on Thursday for two years and four months after he was convicted of taking thousands of pictures of women and girls, before using AI technology to turn them into nude images for his own sexual gratification.
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he → jail → gratification
London’s Victims’ Commissioner Andrea Simon told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the rights of victims have “seem to be put to one side as the justice system struggles”.
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system → tell → side
She said on Friday: “I think victims and their families were grossly failed by the decision to allow this paedophile to return to an address where he was overlooking a playground and near to his victims.
“
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he → say → victims
But the case, I think, is an example of the many ways the justice system just does not centre victims.
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system → think → victims
“To know that the police and prosecutors opposed bail multiple times, but nevertheless he was returned to the community, is an indication that the capacity pressures on prisons are not being balanced with the impacts that that’s having on victims’ lives.”
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that → know → lives
Ms Simon said she was calling on the Government to “commit to a multi-agency review that examines the significant cross-justice agency failings, from the police, crown prosecutors, and the courts around how we share information and how we understand and respond to risk”.
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we → say → risk
She said she feared that as capacity pressures grow and the number of sex offenders increases, there is a “risk that critical information can be missed or not properly presented in court”.
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information → say → court
According to the police, Dogan had taken more than 5,000 images, many of which were from his bedroom window which overlooked a playground.
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which → accord → playground
The court was told photos of 33 adult women and two children – aged seven and 13 – were “digitally altered” using AI software to create sexualised content.
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photos → tell → content
Ms Simon said the justice system was struggling to deal with the serious and predatory nature of offenders who are using “AI and new technology to create and share abuse images”.
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who → say → images
Following the 32-year-old’s sentencing, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley took the unusual step of publicly criticising the justice system, arguing the pressure to cut the number of prisoners on remand has led to “dangerous and prolific offenders” being granted bail.
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offenders → follow → bail
Sir Mark said the current system was leaving his officers feeling “hamstrung” by making “unfathomable decisions”.
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system → say → decisions
The Government said on Thursday that courts should only bail offenders “where necessary and proportionate”.
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courts → say → offenders
A Government spokesperson said the law is “clear” and should be used to “protect victims, witnesses and the public while investigations and court proceedings are ongoing”.
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investigations → say → victims
Remand and bail decisions are made by independent judges or magistrates.
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decisions → make → judges
Dogan had previously pleaded guilty to multiple image offences, including making indecent images of children, having been arrested on July 16 on suspicion of offences involving indecent images of children.
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Dogan → plead → children
He was arrested again on August 4 and the following day was charged and remanded by police.
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He → arrest → police
The defendant appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on August 6 and accepted all the charges against him.
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defendant → appear → him
According to the prosecutor, Dogan had “been on conditional bail throughout these proceedings”.
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Dogan → accord → proceedings
Dogan pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, which included 900 category C images, 294 category B images and 653 category A images – which are the most severe.
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which → plead → images
He also admitted possessing extreme pornography, possessing a prohibited image of a child, creating purported intimate images of an adult, obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty and a further two counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
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He → admit → child
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