Zara Aleena: another needless death

Zara Aleena’s killing – as with all forms of violence again women carried out by men – did not need to happen. Two years on from her murder, an inquest jury in the UK has concluded that failures across multiple state agencies contributed to the law graduate’s death. Police, prison and probation services failed to act in accordance with their own policies and procedures, the jury found. There were failures to share intelligence or accurately assess risk of harm, and a failure to plan and then act in response to identified risk of serious harm. Despite a long history of violence against women and girls, including 28 previous convictions for 69 separate offences dating back over 17 years, and a documented history of violence towards ex-partners, John McSweeney was wrongly designated as “medium” risk by Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service when he was released from prison.

Over the nine days McSweeney was at large, he repeatedly breached his licence conditions, but the Probation Service took five days to initiate his recall to prison. And though the Metropolitan Police had the power to arrest him several days before he murdered Zara as she walked home from an evening out in Ilford, London, the inquest jury found that a lack of “professional curiosity and follow-ups” had impeded his arrest.

Among the failings:

• Despite his convictions, McSweeney was not rated “high” risk by staff working under pressure.
• Information about a restraining order taken out against him in 2021 was not included in the file considered by the probation board which approved his release on licence.
• His address on release was not known to his probation officer.
• No electronic tag was fitted.

Yesterday, Zara’s aunt, Farah Naz, called on the justice secretary to act on the prevention of future deaths report which is shortly to be issued by the coroner. “It is clear from the evidence we have heard that there are significant issues of under-resourcing across the system,” she said. “Additionally, at numerous stages… there were instances where responsibilities were not carried out effectively, professionally and within necessary timelines, initiative was not taken, and there were glaring gaps in knowledge among officers in prison probation, community probation, and the police about their own roles.”

Responding to the jury’s conclusions, the charity Refuge pointed out that the use of the recently-introduced early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding highlighted the risks of an underfunded and under-resourced probation service.

“There are serious failings in the probation service’s ability to ensure public safety and urgent action must be taken to ensure offenders are not a danger to women’s lives when released from prison,” said Jessica Eagelton. “The probation service must be given the resources, funds and training to ensure offenders are monitored and properly risk assessed.”