Serial Sex Offender
Ryan is also a convicted sex offender. In 2004, he indecently assaulted a 14-year-old girl by pulling up her skirt and touching her exposed thigh. Ryan was subsequently banned from having any contact with girls under the age of 16, but he disobeyed the order on multiple occasions. In fact, he has seven convictions for breaching a Sex Offenders Registration Order and five convictions for breaching a Sex Offenders Prevention Order.
In May 2014, Ryan was seen talking to a group of schoolchildren in Blackpool, including two girls who were 9 and 10 years old respectively. Later on, a witness saw a drunken Ryan lying on the ground with his trousers down.
Britain’s Recidivism Problem
If it seems remarkable to you that a one-man crime spree such as Patrick Ryan is allowed to walk the streets, don’t be so surprised. Recidivism is a major problem in the United Kingdom as criminals are allowed to commit hundreds of offenses without ever fearing a substantial prison sentence. Glenn Stacey has almost 400 convictions, and there are several more criminals with more than 100.
As well as wreaking havoc in the communities they live in, these criminals are costing the UK taxpayer an absolute fortune, a fact bemoaned by Rachel Baines, the Chairman of the Lancashire Police Federation. While Ryan’s jail time has probably cost in the region of £1 million (figures show it costs £45,000 a year to keep someone in a UK jail), the costs of his regular arrests and court appearances are probably double that.
One homeless man breached an Anti-Social Behavioral Order (ASBO) on 45 occasions and cost the public around £2 million. The London Metropolitan Police believe serial offenders cost the criminal justice system in the region of £80,000 a year.
The UK’s Tory Government is busily cutting funds to the nation’s police force, so dealing with repeat offenders is an enormous financial drain. The London Met conducted a survey and found that approximately 77% of crimes are committed by convicted criminals. In the last ten years, 25% of crimes have been committed by re-offenders within 12 months of their release from prison.
Also, approximately 20% of convicted criminals have at least 15 offenses to their name. In the space of three years, a failure to tackle the activities of 4,000 career criminals in London has cost the taxpayer an incredible £163 million!
In simple terms, the ‘rehabilitation’ portion of prison is a complete and utter failure in the UK. Nothing is done to help criminals adjust to life ‘outside,’ and since crime is all they know, a return to their illegal ways is inevitable. Additionally, the lax British justice system enables repeat offenders to continue committing crimes safe in the knowledge that they’ll either receive a light prison sentence or escape jail time altogether. UK authorities either need to impose much tougher sentences or commit to a program to help provide genuine rehabilitation to prisoners. Otherwise, the number of Patrick Ryans will simply increase.