Gary Glitter’s parole hearing 'must be public' as victim demands 'open justice'
A victim of jailed pop paedophile Gary Glitter has urged parole bosses to hold a hearing to decide his future in the open so the public can hear how “dangerous” he is.
The woman, who the disgraced glam rocker attacked when she was 12, says he poses a major risk of offending against children again if released. Leader of the Gang singer Glitter – real name Paul Gadd – was jailed for 16 years in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls in the 1970s and 80s.
Following a three-week trial, he was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and four counts of indecent assault. The woman – one of those three victims – has now instructed solicitors to take civil proceedings against Glitter.
The 79-year-old fiend, recalled to prison in March for breaching his licence just days after being released, is set to argue his case for freedom at a Parole Board hearing this year and it is thought he will want it held behind closed doors. Leading abuse lawyer Richard Scorer has now written to the board on behalf of the victim to call for open proceedings, arguing this is in the public interest.
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Glitter is now 79-years-old (EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)Mr Scorer, of legal firm Slater and Gordon, said: “Our client feels very strongly that Glitter should remain in prison for as long as possible. She feels that he has never shown remorse, that he represents a serious risk to children and that to release him into the community could facilitate his reoffending. “The Parole Board’s focus should be public protection. This man is dangerous and he needs to stay locked up for the rest of his sentence.”
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Glitter was freed halfway through his term, whisked out of jail under cover of darkness, and into a bail hostel. But he was soon returned to prison after footage emerged of him using a smartphone, speaking about the dark web and ogling videos of young girls ballet-dancing. Checks revealed he had also downloaded and deleted the app DuckDuckGo – which can give access to the covert darknet.
Mr Scorer said: “It is essential that this parole hearing is heard in public. Glitter has shown no remorse and the circumstances in which his licence was revoked indicate his sex offending is likely to be continuing. In our view, he represents a serious danger to children.
“It is imperative the public are able to see how parole decisions are arrived at in serious cases, particularly where the public is at risk. I call upon the parole board to honour the principle of open justice and ensure this hearing is conducted transparently and openly.”
Parole Board bosses confirmed Glitter will be freed immediately from sex offenders’ prison The Verne in Dorset if he successfully makes his case. A source said: “The public has a right to know exactly what has happened and to see the reasons behind whatever decision is made next. He should not be released. Thousands was spent on that happening only for him to quickly reoffend. This needs to be examined and the voices of his victims heard.”
The Parole Board said a date has not been set for the hearing, nor has a decision been made on whether it will be held in public.
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