Zara Alina: Law graduate’s aunt says probation officers have ‘blood on their hands’ | UK News

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Murder victim Zara Alina’s aunt said probation officers were “bloodied” after a damning report revealed failures in the way her niece’s killer was monitored after her release from prison just days before her death.

Farah Naz said the watchdog’s findings revealed a “chain of errors” within the monitoring department in the lead-up to the law graduate’s death.

Ms Nas called for “action and accountability” as she described the monitoring service as “incompetent”, with “failures of people at the top”.

The report found that probation officers’ failures meant sex offender Jordan McSweeney was able to stalk and kill Ms Alina just days after his release from prison.

The 29-year-old was sentenced to a minimum of 38 years in prison for the sexual assault and murder of the 35-year-old in Ilford, east London, on June 26 last year.

Photo: Jordan McSweeney stalked and killed Ms. Alaina just days after his release from prison

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab ordered a review of how probation staff supervised McSweeney when it emerged he had been released from prison on licence – where individuals are released from prison but still have a portion of their sentence for community service – nine days before the murder.

In the report, Chief Probation Inspector Justin Russell said: “Jordan McSweeney should have been considered a significant risk of serious harm. Had he done so, more urgent action would have been taken to have him recalled to prison, having missed his supervision appointments. Upon his release from booking.

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4:00 The murder of Zara Alina: what happened?

“The probationary failed to do so, and had free rein to commit the most heinous crime against an innocent young woman.”

In the nine days leading up to the murder, McSweeney’s license was revoked after he failed to attend any meetings with probation officers, but he was not called to jail.

“Zara’s life was caught and they had blood on their hands on watch,” said Ms Nas, who said she believed her niece would “definitely” still be alive if she didn’t make mistakes.

Earlier she told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour that she was here to “campaign” and “give a voice” to her family, and “everyone else wants to see better services”, adding: “I’m looking for change and accountability”. “

“This is a very difficult time for us,” she described her niece. “She was the complete opposite of this man who has been given a license to walk the streets freely.”

Ms. Nas said she was “a good person… very active in the local community… I love them all so much, funny, smart, lovely and a real lover of life”.

Ms Nas said no one in government had written to her to apologize but she asked to have a conversation with Mr Raab.

Russell, whose team conducted the review, told the program that probation officers need to “be reminded of the basics, they need to be retrained on how to distinguish between a medium and high risk case.”

When asked if the monitoring service was fit for purpose, he said: “I think the way it assesses, manages and reviews risks of harm is not fit for purpose, and this is an essential function of the monitoring service, it should be one of its priorities.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the oversight failures were “a symptom of wider issues” that “must be addressed immediately”.

“My thoughts are with Zara’s family and loved ones on this very difficult day,” said Mr. Khan.

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