by Ronan McSherry
The Strabane Chronicle has learnt that the cost to the PSNI of monitoring Castlederg rapist Eamon Foley for the month of February was 'calculated at around £103,000,' that is £3,678 a day.
Foley set up home at Gortin in late January after being released from prison after serving half of his 16-year sentence for raping pensioner Mary-Anne McLaughlin in 1999.
The 91-year-old woman died weeks after she was attacked at her isolated mobile home. After angry protests by locals and the intervention of Social Services concerned that his grandchild was living in the same house he moved to Killeter, just miles from the scene of his heinous crime.
However his present address is unknown to the public since he was forced to move from the isolated bungalow after it was extensively damaged in an arson attack two weeks ago. MASRAM, the group responsible for overseeing the management of sex offenders within the community has given an assurance Foley is still being closely monitored.
He will remain at a temporary agreed address until a permanent solution can be found.
Foley is a Category 3 offender defined as, "Someone whose sexual offending has been assessed as currently likely to lead them to seriously harm other people."
Strabane Cllr Derek Hussey recently attended a meeting with MASRAM regarding the supervision of Foley. On being told the costs for police during Foley's time in Gortin he said, "The government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the community. That is where their remit lies no matter what it costs.
"I have severe concern that somebody who has been found guilty by the courts has not accepted the situation and is in our community at the moment.
"This is a person the public prosecution said should not get out. There is also the scenario of fear in the community. As a local elected representative my concern is for my constituents."
Nick Carson said, "A risk management plan addresses specific risks factors an individual poses so therefore one could not say the cost to monitor the risk posed by a Category 3 is particular figure because it would be different in every case to specific risks. They are also reviewed at latest monthly.
"Managing the risk posed by high risk sex offenders is always going to be high priority for police because there is a strong public protection role there."
The expense of monitoring Foley is more than 15 times the amount it costs to keep a prisoner in jail in the North.
The figure to accommodate an inmate for a month last year was £6,520.
Mr Carson added, "The number one priority is and always will be protection of the public.
"There is no current law in place that allows criminal justice agencies to keep offenders in prison. The new legislation which will become law this year will create what are called indeterminate sentences.
"That means that high risk offenders would have to show evidence of a reduction in their risk in order to satisfy an new parole commission that they should be released back into the community. It will definitely not be retrospective regarding Eamon Foley."
