Stage 8 - Identifying patterns and links

This stage is were we look at patterns and the links that may be there from the suspects, we can do this by looking at intelligence and sharing information with other forces and agencies which is a way of gathering more information. Agencies such as victim support, youth offending teams can help us with information as to whether a suspect or victim has been apart of any of these agencies which can help us make a link within a crime so its important that we thoroughly do this stage as it can help us produce a link. However agencies need to consider ethics when doing this as they have to be careful when sharing information because of peoples confidentiality, they can only share information is they have consent to do so and if its helpful to the case. this stage is very important as it looks at suspects previous convictions which usually if an offender commits a major crime they usually have previous convictions even if its only petty crimes. information gathered at this stage about any suspects can be very beneficial to the investigation process as it can create links in the case. this stage is very similar depending on the crime because for each major case there is patterns and links that can be done however in some cases its not as easy as this and patterns and links cant always benefit the case. This stage is quite significant because if not done it means certain evidence could be overlooked, For example finding a pattern on burglaries in an area and not applying this information to a case that is currently being investigated. If a wrong link is made with someone and incorrect information is given out, it means that the investigation could have a side step and could cause them to investigate into someone else and lose track of the criminal. This could cause an acquittal of a guilty party. The ethical involved in this are that making links with people can be invading people’s private lives, which can be known as wrong to some people but sometimes this needs to be done in order to find out the right information. By identifying more links and patterns it means that more information can be found out and this could cause the case to be more successful if a suspicion can be made quicker.

Identifying a pattern can help with an investigation by looking at previous convictions from the suspect for example in the case of Ian Huntley. looking at Huntley's previous convictions created very successful outcomes in the case as he had lots of previous convictions involves underage children which helped to create links into the murder of the young girls. however the police had to be careful and consider ethics as they could judge Huntley and had to be treat him equal to anyone else however this did help and was beneficial to the case. when we look back he had a numerous amount of previous convictions he had such as:

·         August 1995 – underage sex claim
An investigation by police and social services takes place following a complaint that Huntley was having sex with a 15-year-old-girl. The young girl admitted she was having sex with Huntley. However police decide not to pursue the matter as she did not want that to happen.

·         15 November 1995 -Burglary
Huntley is alleged to have broken into a house in  via the loft of the next door house. He and a helper are said to have stolen electrical goods, jewellery and a small amount of cash. Huntley was arrested and charged with burglary in March 1996 which he admitted. The case went to court and he was ordered to lie.

·         March 1996- Underage sex 
there was another complaint to social services that Huntley was having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. The girl denied any allegation. Social services however said this was the only case in which the police are not involved.

·         April 1996-Underage sex
another 15-year-old, another alleged underage sexual relationship. The mother of the girl brought the matter to the attention of her school and social services were alerted. Social services exchanged information with the police, but the family did not wish to involve the police and no further action was taken.

·         May 1996-Underage sex
another joint police and social services investigation, this time into allegations that Huntley had had sex with a 13-year-old girl. The girl denied sex had taken place. Supported by her mother she refused to have a medical examination. In spite of the previous incident with the 15-year-old the police did not interview Huntley.

·         April 1998-Rape 
Huntley is arrested after a woman claimed he had raped her. She met Huntley at a nightclub; they shared a taxi home and went back to her house. The alleged victim did have a medical examination. Huntley admited they had sex but claimed it was what she had wanted. The police took the view there was not enough evidence to take the matter any further.

·         May 1998- Rape charge
Another woman claimed Huntley raped her while she was walking home from a nightclub. She said Huntley attacked her in an isolated spot and threatened to kill her. Huntley again claimed the sex was consensual. Huntley was charged with rape. After viewing CCTV footage from the nightclub, the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was no chance of a conviction and dropped the case.

·         July 1998-Indecent assault 
A young girl claimed she was subject to a serious indecent assault by a man called Ian 10 months before, when she was 12 years old. Huntley, who was living in her street at the time was arrested and denies the allegation. Huntley had been living in a caravan with his then 15-year-old girlfriend - she was away that day. The 10-year-old told police he threatened her with pressure points saying he was an expert in martial arts, he had his hands round her neck and told her if she told anybody he would kill her. She was interviewed but Humberside Police decided not to proceed with the case. The girl had suffered psychologically since that time.

·         February 1999-Rape 
A 17-year-old girl alleged that Huntley had raped her in February after meeting him at a night club. She had met him before and Huntley claimed the sex was consensual. The police decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

·         July 1999: Rape 
A woman is raped and Huntley was interviewed because of his previous behaviour. He was by this time using the name Nixon. He supplied a DNA sample and had an alibi provided by Maxine Carr his then girlfriend. The woman subsequently said Huntley was not the rapist. This case was different in that in all the others the victims named or identified Huntley.

From the amount of convictions there was about Huntley he should have been in prison a long time ago. However this helped is the soham murder case, all of the girls that accused Huntley of rape or assault where all young girls which helped link Huntley to the case of jess and holly. The media intrusion in this stage was a lot, as soon as people knew of Huntley's previous convictions the public saw him as a guilty person and everyone thought it however it did help as the young girls who had been raped by huntley came forward and helped gather information to the police about Huntley.  This stage was probably one of the most important because so much evidence and information was gathered about Huntley which linked him straight to the girls murderes, although his previous convictions should of been dealt with sooner, identifying links between him and the investigation helped in finding Huntley guilty.