Huntley rape file scandal

A detective filed a report branding Ian Huntley a serial sex attacker three years before the Soham murders.

"He is at liberty to continue his activities," warned the officer. Today the report on "Ian Kevin Huntley (aka Nixon)" was read by the inquiry counsel James Eadie.

It was marked for the attention of police intelligence officers in Grimsby and surrounding areas but access would have been available on request to officers from any other force.

It said: "The above named has come to the attention of Grimsby CID in four separate rape inquiries. Huntley on all these occasions has targeted women that he knows or has befriended, usually in nightclubs.

"He either accompanies them home or walks with them and then rapes them."

The report was filed to the Humberside police intelligence bureau in July, 1999, after Huntley had been suspected but never convicted of a series of rape attacks and indecent assaults.

Twelve months later the report was deleted by a civilian member of the Humberside staff. Civilians had taken over from police officers the responsibility of "weeding out" unwanted intelligence from computer files five months earlier.

Huntley started the caretaker job in December 2001 and in August, 2002, murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The police report also refers to an indecent assault on a 12-yearold family friend.

There was a lack of independent evidence to support a prosecution.
The officer said: "Huntley seems to choose victims that would not make natural witnesses.

"It is quite clear that Huntley is a serial sex attacker and is at liberty to continue his activities.

"It may well be that other women have been forced to have sex with him after nightclub smooches and have decided not to report it."

Mr Eadie said police had investigated 11 separate incidents involving Huntley, including nine alleged sexual offences, between 1995 and 1999.

Of those, four involved allegations of unlawful intercourse with girls under 16, four were allegations of rape and one of indecent assault on an 11-yearold girl.

A key document relating to one of the rape allegations was exhibited in the inquiry room in High Holborn.

It was alleged that Huntley had "followed-a lone female from a nightclub, sneaked up on her and threatened her with a brick - brief struggle - as female ran off - offender chased her, tripped her up".

Mr Eadie said that the charge was discontinued on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service because of changes to the alleged victim's evidence. The day after Huntley was interviewed about the allegation he changed his name to Ian Nixon.

By the time he applied for the caretaker's job in Soham he had changed it back again.

The hearing was told that such details were only recorded on the police computer when a suspect is charged and not when he is arrested.

In further documents shown to the inquiry which have never been made public before, Huntley admits in a 1995 interview with police that he was having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

In the transcript an officer says: "She reported to us she was pregnant, are you having sexual intercourse with her?"

Huntley: "Yes, quite, it was with her parents' consent, she's allowed to stay here and I'm allowed to stay at her house." Police: "Do you realise that it is an offence to engage in sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 years of age?"

Huntley: "Yes, but I thought that if her parents were okay about it, it was not an offence."

There was a further allegation that Huntley had sex with a 13 year old girl while she was babysitting two younger children.

The girl refused to comment, stopped eating and sleeping, cried incessantly and claimed that if the allegation was pursued Huntley would not want her any more.

The hearing continues.