ADAM MARK, THE DANGEROUS LEEDS PAEDOPHILE, ESCAPES FROM OPEN PRISON IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE
In a startling development, Adam Mark, a convicted sex offender from Leeds, who has been labeled by police as 'exceptionally dangerous,' has managed to escape from an open prison for the second time.The 37-year-old, who is serving a life sentence for multiple heinous crimes, was recently spotted by a member of the public in the Hambrook area of Gloucestershire, leading to his swift arrest by local authorities.
Mark's history is deeply troubling.
He was convicted in 1996 of three separate rapes and one attempted rape, all involving strangers.
His crimes have left a lasting scar on the victims and the community.
Currently, he is serving a life sentence, but his recent escape has raised serious concerns about the safety of the public and the effectiveness of the prison system.
According to police reports, Mark was last seen outside the reception area of HMP Leyhill, a prison located in south Gloucestershire, at approximately 7:30 pm.
It is believed that he left the prison premises sometime between 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm that evening.
The police have been actively searching for him since then, with Detective Inspector Jill Kells leading the investigation.
She emphasized the danger Mark poses, stating, "Adam Mark is a very dangerous man.
He is serving a life sentence for a series of stranger sex attacks against women and children as young as 12.
He has also committed robberies to fund his drug habit.
We know he had started using drugs again before he absconded from prison." Inspector Kells further explained that authorities suspect Mark might still be in the Bristol area, but there is no confirmation, and he could be anywhere across the country.
The police are doing everything possible to locate him and return him to custody.
Mark's criminal history includes a previous escape in 2008 from North Sea Camp prison in Boston, Lincolnshire, from which he was later apprehended in Skegness.
Despite this, he managed to escape again on Tuesday evening, raising questions about the security measures in place.
Local Member of Parliament Steve Webb expressed his concern over the incident, remarking, "I think this is the first occasion that I am aware of where someone has absconded once from an open prison, been given another opportunity, and absconded again." The Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate added, "You will never have 100% certainty, clearly there is a risk assessment done, but if someone has proved once they can't be trusted in open conditions, there ought to be an incredibly high bar for them to be given another opportunity.
In this case, clearly the wrong judgment was made." Police have issued a warning about Mark's dangerousness, especially towards children.
A police spokesman, who confirmed Mark's origins from West Yorkshire, stated, "He is considered to be a danger to the public and particularly children.
On a number of occasions, he has targeted women and girls alighting from buses or who were at bus stops, as well as a woman walking her dog alone." Meanwhile, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson highlighted that the rate of absconding from open prisons during 2012/13 was the second lowest since records began.
They added, "Absconds are still 13% lower than when this Government came to power.
We are not complacent about this issue and are looking at ways in which the risk of absconding can be reduced further.
We are committed to ensuring that risk to the public is minimised.
All those located in open conditions have been rigorously risk assessed and categorised as being of low risk to the public." As the search continues, the community remains on alert, hoping for Mark's swift recapture and return to the safety of the prison system, where he can be kept away from the public eye and potential victims.
