Two live-in social workers monitor the Da Vinci rapist

Published on 09/02/2012 12:02

DA Vinci Code rapist Robert Greens has two social workers living with him 24 hours a day to ensure someone is “always awake” to monitor him, it has been revealed.

Police are seeking a sexual offences prevention order (Sopo) against Greens to restrict his movements as a court heard the 33-year-old was considered to be at the highest level of danger to the public.

Lawyers for Greens are fighting to revoke the order, claiming the restrictions are so prohibitive as to be a breach of his human rights.

A hearing was set to continue today at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to decide whether to extend an interim Sopo granted against Greens at the request of Chief Constable David Strang.

The court heard yesterday that Greens had previously said that Mr Strang “should get a bullet through the eyes” after learning of the move.

The authorities’ bid to impose a full Sopo follows public protests which forced the rehousing of Greens from a flat in Dalkeith following his release from prison last month.

The rapist has been assessed for Mappa Level 3 restrictions as a “very high risk”.

The court heard yesterday that Greens already wears an electronic tag to monitor his movements under the licensing conditions which saw his release. Greens is not allowed to leave his new home alone, and is subject to a curfew between 8pm and 8am, and 1pm to 3pm, the maximum amount allowed by law.

Greens is subject to 23 individual restrictions which include not approaching children, prohibitions on travel, no internet access, having to notify the police of any change in his appearance, and being excluded from certain areas of Midlothian.

His solicitor, Tony Kelly, argued that these restrictions had a significant impact on Greens’ liberty, while a Sopo was disproportionate and unnecessary because of the limitations already placed on him.

Mr Kelly said that his client “does not live alone”, and has “two social workers residing with him so someone is always awake”.

Solicitor Andy McGlone, representing the chief constable, said: “The police position is straightforward. He has been assessed at Mappa Level 3, the highest level for sex offenders in terms of danger. He is an extremely dangerous man.”

Mr McGlone said that Greens’ reports from prison had been “very poor” in terms of attitude and engagement, and he showed “denial about the crime itself”.

He added that when a sheriffs officer visited prison to deliver the interim Sopo to Greens, the rapist was “extremely aggressive”.

The authorities wanted the power provided by a Sopo to immediately arrest Greens for breaching the order rather than waiting for his licence to be revoked for a violation.

Detective Superintendent Alan Crawford, head of public protection for Lothian and Borders Police, and chair of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel, said: “There are robust processes and procedures in place to manage sex offenders, but we cannot comment on individual cases.”

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