MacAskill urged to publish report on child sex abuse ringleader

Published on Thursday 5 November 2009 20:56

JUSTICE secretary Kenny MacAskill has praised the "world class" police operation which snared Scotland's biggest child abuse ring.

But he was pressed to explain why one of the convicted men, a known sex offender was able to continue targeting victims.

Neil Strachan, 41, and James Rennie, 38, both of Edinburgh, received life sentences last week for a catalogue of child sex abuse and pornography offences.

Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker pressed Mr MacAskill to publish a report on Strachan – who was already on the sex offenders register.

Mr Baker said: "I do question why this report is to remain confidential. Neil Strachan should not have been in a position to abuse his victims."

But Mr MacAskill told him the report had been prepared by Lothian and Borders Police together with Edinburgh city council and NHS Lothian.

He said: "The review, the report, is not mine. It is theirs."

He said it contained "highly confidential" details of victims.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken asked about lie detector tests and satellite tracking of offenders.

Mr MacAskill said the use of polygraph testing on sex offenders was being trialled in England, adding that Holyrood ministers were monitoring this.