August 2006 Pervert would have been targeted under police guidelines PAEDOPHILE Alexander Aitchison would have almost certainly been branded a Potentially Dangerous Person under the new police guidelines. Aitchinson moved to Leadgate, near Consett, County Durham, after being released from a prison term for “lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour” against a three-year-old girl in his native Falkirk, Scotland, in 1988. But the 38-year-old began abusing another young girl – for which he was found guilty three years ago at Durham Crown Court on charges that included two counts of rape and two of indecent assault. It emerged during his trial that he was being visited weekly by social workers, who had been warned of his history, but the abuse was still allowed to continue. Aitchinson was living with the girl’s alcoholic mother at the time. During the trial at Durham Crown Court, Amanda Rippon, prosecuting, told the jury: “Social services have watched while the worst atrocities have gone on – you see it on TV and read about it in the papers. “It is sad and unfortunate but I can say it is true. Sometimes things slip under, even under the gaze of social services.” It was six years after Aitchinson left the North East, that the girl finally plucked up the courage to report him to police, who tracked him to Barrow-in-Fur-nessCumbria. The girl said Aitchinson would also torment her through a number of methods, including pretending to shoot her with a pellet gun, after which he “used to laugh with those stupid, evil eyes that he’s got”. David Williams, Durham County Council’s director of children and young people’s services, said at the time: “This was a case that was referred to us from another social services authority in Scotland which was aware of this man’s history and the offences he had committed as a juvenile. “That authority carried out a full risk assessment of the man, including a psychiatric assessment. “At no time did we have any additional information which would have triggered any additional safeguards or any other sort of action, in-cludina further risk assessment.” But Chief Supt Scott said: “In situations where an individual has a propensity for serious offending they would now be classed as a Potentially Dangerous Person and would be more closely monitored by the police and by other agencies.”