13/05/04 - MP slams theft of Carr papers
Cambridge News
SOHAM MP Jim Paice has spoken of his shock over the theft of documents relating to Maxine Carr's release from prison.
Carr - the former fiancee of Soham murderer Ian Huntley - was moved from prison to a safe house yesterday.
On the same day, it emerged that details relating to her release were stolen from a civil servant's car.
In a major embarrassment for the Home Office, the documents were snatched from the senior civil servant's car on Tuesday.
Mr Paice, Conservative MP for South East Cambridgeshire, said the theft was "beyond belief" and called for a full investigation.
"It is beyond belief that these papers were stolen," he said.
"It is a very serious incident. There needs to be an open investigation into this."
The stolen papers were discovered dumped on Hampstead Heath, north London, four hours later but the blunder sparked fierce criticism for the Government.
A Home Office spokesman said the theft had no impact on Carr's release as he disclosed that she had been transferred from HMP Foston Prison, near Derby, earlier yesterday.
Carr, 27, was moved to a secure Prison Service location until tomorrow when she will be released on licence, to be supervised.
The spokesman said the parents of Huntley's victims, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, were told of the move before it was made public.
Home Office sources said the theft of the documents was "unfortunate" but would not say whether an internal investigation was to be carried out.
A spokesman for Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "The plans have worked very well and Maxine Carr has been moved safely in accordance with the conditions laid down by her licence.
"The operational decisions involved in moving her have not been affected by the fact an official involved was the victim of a crime and had documents stolen that were recovered by police within a matter of hours."
Prisons chief Martin Narey, head of the National Offender Management Service, said: "It hasn't altered any of the meticulous planning we have had for Miss Carr's release.
"She was released exactly as planned into police custody yesterday and will be released into the care of the Probation Service tomorrow." He said there was no information in the stolen documents that related to Carr's identity.
Carr has served half of a 42-month sentence imposed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
She provided a false alibi for Huntley by lying to police over her whereabouts on the weekend in August 2002 when he murdered 10-year-olds Holly and Jessica. |
