DEVON PREDATOR SENTENCED TO INDEFINITE HOSPITAL ORDER AFTER SERIAL ASSAULTS
No investigation into why a dangerous sex attacker was on the streets when he raped a pensioner.Victims of Daniel Stip speak about the impact of his crimes.
The article reports that the 21-year-old, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was able to commit multiple assaults after being released from a hospital order at Exeter Crown Court on November 1, where it was stated he may never be released due to the danger he posed to the public.
Stip previously attempted to rape a woman in Cambridge and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in September 2017.
He was released in October 2017 after assessment.
Despite being questioned by police regarding the Cambridge incident, he was not re-arrested at that time.
Subsequently, he attacked two women in Devon; a 25-year-old in a park in Paignton and a 72-year-old woman whom he dragged into her home and raped.
The court was informed that the hospital simply released him back into the community rather than police custody, which is part of the controversy.
Police explained that they interviewed him voluntarily while he lived in another force area, sharing information with Cambridgeshire police, but initially found no grounds to charge him.
After a further investigation, linked to a rape in Devon, he was detained and charged, leading to a guilty verdict and an indefinite hospital order.
The hospital, Cygnet Health Care, confirmed they followed protocols and were in contact with police regarding his discharge.
Cambridgeshire police stated they did not expect Stip to be handed over to them on release and that there was insufficient evidence to charge him for the initial Cambridge incident.
The victims expressed fear and trauma from the attacks, with one victim saying she was petrified and felt undeserving of help, while another described the attack as petrifying and expressed concern about his danger to women.
The final attack involved theft and rape, where Stip asked a woman for dry socks before forcing her into her home, turning a photo of her late husband to face the wall, and stealing a pendant with his ashes.
During arrest, Stip admitted to killing, raping, and stealing.
Following his sentencing, Detective Sergeant Simon Lee described him as a dangerous individual who targeted vulnerable women across the country, causing fear with his violent attacks.
