Grooming offence- can we complain about bail conditions?

[Chaoticbrain]

I reported messages found on DD13 phone from her teacher (extra curriculum). 100s of sexual messages and photos in 24hrs!

Teacher was arrested, did a no comment interview and was realised on bail. All of their tech, phones, computers seized along with Ds phone (with our consent). No charges yet but still under investigation. ABE interview done and written statement taken from me.

We were contacted before release to let us know about bail conditions which are:
No contact with our DD directly or indirectly
No contact with any child under 18 unless ‘fleeting’ or incidental or approved by Children’s social care.
The last part of the was explained to us as necessary so the teacher could have contact with their own children.
However we have since learnt that Children’s social care did a risk assessment and have approved continuing to work. Not to teach as long as their business partner aka their spouse was present and it was a support role without contact with children.

We found this out when a close friend went to a community event the teachers company had organised. Where the teacher was there hugging, chatting and interacting with children.

When we reported this we were told it wasn’t a breach of bail but a ‘grey area’ Our friends and family members children were there! The police are fully on our side and said that they had fought against social care who wanted the teacher to be allowed to teach unsupervised and not have any limitations on their business- despite the whole business being child focussed and also the way my DD had been groomed.

The whole situation has caused my dd a lot of pain, upset and she has lost friends and her confidence. Yet this teacher is just carrying on as normal. Police also don’t think Dd was the only victim.

Can we formally complain about this decision and challenge it?

hi There. You can make a complaint about the fact that social services approved this working arrangement (directly to social services), however you would most likely have more luck in speaking with the police and suggesting / requesting that they vary the bail conditions in such a way that the “approved contact with children” is specific to his own children. The police have the power to vary bail conditions and if they are on your side as you say are fairly likely to agree to do so…

Have you considered contacting your mp?

Thank you, I will contact the police again. When I spoke to the police this week the officer said that they were going to contact LADO but I will ask if this can be done instead. A risk assessment was submitted and to the local authority by the teachers business partner/spouse and was approved.

Do you think that would help? Our local MP is new and fairly proactive but not sure how they could intervene?

The LADO should have called a strategy meeting with SSD, police and the teachers employer, should there be one to decide how to mange the risk going forward.
Either this hasn't happened yet or if the teacher is self employed that may be more difficult as they aren't accountable to anyone unless they are part of a professional body?
Speak to the officer in the case and ensure that they are aware

The police can take advice from
Social care but they have the final say.
If there is further information that the suspect is having inappropriate contact with children then the police should be amending his bail conditions and ensuring he has NO contact with children at all.

They are self employed, that seems to be the ‘grey area’. There seems to be an awful lot of concern for their business. I understand innocent until proven guilty BUT the messages are awful and clearly from the teacher(literally photo’s and other identifying things) They have also know DD since she was really young so no doubt over her age. So surely that should count towards their risk assessment decisions?

That's the problem, there is no one that can suspend them or monitor them. It's not safe and probably how they've got away with it so far.

The fact that they are a self employed teacher doesn’t make a difference with regards to them being prevented from working with children; should he be found guilty he will be barred from working with children in future. If this wasn’t the case every paedophile in the country would be a self employed teacher. The police are able to put bail conditions in place regardless of what social services want - the teacher can apply to change his bail conditions, if he feels they are unfair, but it is up to the police to agree to this. Any joint agency meeting will be to address risks posed to any children by this person, all parties put their views across.. it isn’t really a two way discussion as to what conditions police should put in place. As a previous poster said, it’s a police investigation and they get the final say in any bail conditions etc. good luck, it can be a long journey x

Thank you, that’s really helpful. I will go back to the police as the way they were speaking they made it seem out of their control. A bit of passing the buck it seems.

I would also contact your LADO and not leave it to chance. The ones I have worked with are excellent and they will also liaise with the police.