Dangerous sexual predators being targeted for drug dealing and shoplifting to get them behind bars quicker
21 March 2025, 01:29
Rapists and domestic abusers are being targeted by police for more minor crimes first, in a bid to get them behind bars quicker.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
As part of a new data-driven approach to tackle violence against women, police in London say they have secured convictions for more than 100 of the most dangerous offenders.
The 'V100 stack' is a list of suspects whose offending in the past year has shown repetitiveness and escalation, posing the highest threat to women.
Around three quarters of them are accused of rape, multiple sexual assaults, and murder.
Once a month, officers gather to go through the list and come up with their best way to get them off the streets and behind bars.
Read more: Bank of England holds base rate at 4.5%, as Trump's tariffs spark 'global uncertainty'
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ben Russell told LBC: “We use the full range of our tactics and think about everything we can do to prosecute and bring offenders to justice.
“Yes, absolutely, we will focus on getting these people behind bars for their serious offending, but we have convicted our V100 suspects for dealing drugs, for shoplifting, for anything we can where we can take them off the streets as quickly as possible.”
Around 15-30 people are added to Met’s list every month, which government ministers have thrown their weight behind.
Since the approach began in July, 126 people have been charged with 574 offences.
Among those convicted is Adam Baillie, 39, who was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnap and sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Harrow last April.
He was ordered to serve at least 10 years in jail before being considered for parole.
Another, Louis Collins, 30, received a life sentence with a minimum of 11 years and five months after launching a four-day spree in which he attacked eight women across London.
According to the Met, his crimes included raping a woman at knifepoint in a park and attempting to rape another after following her home.
Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Craggs told LBC: “We’ve secured over 400 years’ worth of sentencing for the 107 people that we've convicted so far, but there is a lot more work to do.”
During a roundtable discussion of how officers plan to target some of the new suspects on their list, suggestions were made of taking out extra court orders, closer monitoring of whether bail conditions are being breached and exploring evidence of links to drug dealing.
But support for victims was also a key topic of discussion - of safeguarding children in reports of repeated domestic abuse, of supporting women who may have been trafficked, or are being coerced and blackmailed because of their family’s cultural beliefs.
Angela Craggs said: “The approach is very much aimed at tackling the perpetrator, but we know the best way to secure those really long sentences is through the victim being involved in the investigation.
“But it’s not always easy for them to support a prosecution. Very often they’ve been exploited, so we look for opportunities to support them because their wellbeing is absolutely paramount.
“Where we are able to prosecute other non-violence against women offences, drug dealing or other violence, that then empowers the women to come forward and support prosecution.”
Home Office minister Jess Phillips said: "Every woman has a fundamental right to feel safe. 100 offenders convicted by the Met Police means 100 more dangerous men off our streets - a powerful achievement for the Met’s V100 initiative.
"Delivering a consistent national approach in the use of these data-driven tools to identify and pursue the most dangerous perpetrators is a core part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We are cracking on alongside our policing partners to achieve this."
