“Unforeseeable developments including fresh allegations” means that, the Paedophile Child Killer, Colin Pitchfork’s next parole hearing will not be public.
Apologising for the “added stress” on the relatives of the victims, the Parole Board declared on Thursday that the claims were “in respect of relatively recent behaviour”.
It is unclear thus far what the allegations allude to; the complete verdict of the panel chair on the parole hearing is not expected to be released until next week at the earliest.
Following rape and strangling of 15-year-old girls Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986, Colin Pitchfork, 64, was imprisoned for life in 1988.
Then 27, he became the first man found guilty in the UK using DNA profiling and was sentenced a minimum of 30 years, then lowered to 28 years.
Originally freed from prison in September 2021, Colin Pitchfork returned behind bars two months later after violating his licence terms when he approached a lone woman litter-picking.
A Parole Board spokesman said: “A panel of the Parole Board convened a directions hearing for Colin Pitchfork on Wednesday 10 July.
“At that directions hearing the panel and the parties addressed how best to receive evidence in relation of fresh claims in the case. This covered turning in fresh risk-related material to the panel.
“We regret that material changes in circumstances have required a change of decision in regard to the nature of the hearing, which will not be public anymore.”
“It has been brought about by unanticipated events including additional accusations about somewhat recent behaviour.
When accessible, the Parole Board website will show a copy of the public hearing decision taken by the panel chair using their allocated power.
“We would want to apologise once more for the extra stress the decision on the adjournment and the later public hearing could cause on the victims.
“The parole process values victim involvement; the victims have been invited to watch some of the private proceedings.” Relisted in due course will be the private oral hearing.
Decisions made on parole boards only consider the risk a prisoner potentially pose to the public upon release and whether that risk is controllable in the community.
“The panel will carefully review a complete variety of evidence, including specifics of the initial crime, and any indications of behaviour change, as well as appreciate the harm done and impact the incident has had on the victims.
“Parole reviews are done very carefully and extensively. First of importance is public protection.
The Parole Board concluded in June last year that the decision to recall Colin Pitchfork to jail was faulty and declared his confinement was no longer required for public safety. However, then-justice secretary Alex Chalk vetoed this decision since he demanded a reconsideration of the Pitchfork release decision.
Colin Pitchfork lost his most recent freedom attempt in December, but earlier this year he appealed the decision to remain behind prison.
It meant the now 64-year-old would have a new parole hearing, maybe resulting in his release from jail.
Usually held behind closed doors, the hearings can now, depending on demand, take place in public following legislative reforms meant to eliminate the mystery underlying the process.
UPDATE 01.07.25
A new date has been established for the parole hearing of double child murderer and paedophile Colin Pitchfork, following the cancellation of this week’s scheduled hearing.
The 65-year-old was the inaugural individual in the UK to be convicted with DNA profiling.
The most recent Parole Board hearing regarding Pitchfork was scheduled for last Tuesday (June 24). The hearing was adjourned due to personal concerns concerning a board member.
Colin Pitchfork was incarcerated for the sexual assault and homicide of 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Narborough and Enderby during the 1980s.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988 and has submitted multiple requests for release over the years, with at least five recorded parole applications since 2016.
The convicted double murderer was initially granted parole in 2021 but returned to incarceration within weeks.
This week’s hearing was scheduled to follow a fact-finding session in March that examined new charges against Colin Pitchfork but concluded without a conclusive result.
The accusations concerning a purported sexual assault perpetrated by Colin Pitchfork in prison were substantial enough to postpone a previously arranged parole hearing in late 2024.
The hearing was delayed following Colin Pitchfork’s unsuccessful attempt for a judicial appeal, thereby delaying his parole process further.
The Parole Board said that a fresh hearing has been planned for Friday, October 3, following the adjournment.
His transgressions are extensive….
In October 1977, he was penalised £30 by the Market Bosworth magistrates for indecent exposure to a schoolgirl.
In 1979, Colin Pitchfork coerced a 16-year-old girl into a field and perpetrated sexual assault against her.
On 14 February 1980, he indecently exposed himself to two adolescent females in Earl Shilton and received a one-year probationary sentence from Hinckley magistrates.
On 21 November 1983, 15-year-old Lynda Mann opted for a shortcut while returning home from babysitting, deviating from her usual route. She did not come back, prompting her parents and neighbours to hunt for her throughout the night.
The following morning, she was discovered raped and strangled on an isolated walkway colloquially referred to as the Black Pad. Employing the forensic science procedures accessible at the time, law enforcement connected a semen sample obtained from her body to an individual with type A blood and an enzyme profile that corresponded with only 10% of males. The investigation remained open due to the absence of additional leads or evidence.
In October 1985, Colin Pitchfork sexually attacked a 16-year-old girl, menacing her with a screwdriver and a knife to her throat.
On 31 July 1986, 15-year-old Dawn Ashworth departed her residence to visit a friend’s domicile. Her parents anticipated her return by 9:30 PM; upon her failure to arrive, they contacted the police to report her as missing.
Two days later, her corpse was discovered in a forested region adjacent to a trail known as Ten Pound Lane. She had been brutally assaulted, violently raped, and strangled.
The modus operandi corresponded with that of the initial assault, and semen analyses indicated an identical blood type. Both girls were students at Brockington High School.
In November 2017, Colin Pitchfork was observed in Bristol, leading to the assumption that he had been transferred to HM Open Prison Leyhill in Gloucestershire.
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