South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa has said that he is ‘deeply disappointed’ by the decision from the Parole Board for England & Wales to release the convicted child-rapist and killer Colin Pitchfork.
The MP has also confirmed that he will be writing to the Justice Secretary to seek an ‘immediate and urgent’ review of the decision under the Parole Board Reconsideration Mechanism.
Alberto has long campaigned against the release of Colin Pitchfork, who raped and murdered two teenage girls, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, in his constituency in 1983 and 1986 respectively. The MP has been highly critical of the Parole Board’s actions in directing Pitchfork for release in September 2021, before he was then recalled to prison a matter of weeks later due to concerns over his behaviour.
Alberto met with the Secretary of State for Justice in March earlier this year, following his question to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, in which the MP raised serious concerns about the prospect of the Parole Board granting Pitchfork’s release.
Pitchfork, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1988, was previously released by the Parole Board in September 2021 before being recalled to prison two months later for breaching his licence conditions.
Alberto said, “I am deeply disappointed by the decision from the Parole Board for England & Wales to release the convicted child-rapist and killer Colin Pitchfork, and as such I have today written to the Secretary of State for Justice in order to seek an immediate and urgent review. It is unthinkable that a man who committed such callous and brutal crimes, and who was previously released and then speedily recalled, should ever be released, and I will be asking the Government to challenge this decision in the strongest possible terms”.
Alberto added, “Quite understandably my constituents will be hugely upset by this decision; Pitchfork’s heinous crimes continue to cast a shadow over South Leicestershire and therefore many remain highly concerned at the prospect of Colin Pitchfork again facing release. It is clear to many that this man still presents a very danger to the public, and therefore I will continue pressing the Government to have this decision reviewed as soon as possible. As ever, my thoughts remain with the families of Lynda and Dawn at this most difficult time”.
