'Terrifying limbo' over rapist's escorted trips
BBCA rape victim has been living in "terrifying limbo" due to confusion caused by officials who sent contradictory information about proposals for her attacker to be given escorted trips from a secure hospital.
In February, Byron Stubbs from Sunderland was labelled a "dangerous offender" and given an indefinite hospital order for the rape and later stabbing a seven-year-old child and two women.
Less than three months later, the Prison and Probation Service sent the rape victim a letter saying escorted leave was being considered, but after the BBC contacted the organisation it was claimed to be a miscommunication.
The service has since apologised for causing "confusion and distress".
Alice, whose name has been changed by the BBC to protect her identity, said she had been living with constant anxiety since the rape.
"I don't trust anybody else now, you just feel like everyone's after you," she said.
When he was sentenced, the court heard Stubbs had a history of severe mental illness made worse by his use of alcohol and illegal drugs.
The judge said he would pose a risk to the public for a "very long time" and people would be better protected by a hospital order and "intensive and enduring" psychiatric treatment.
Had he been jailed, Stubbs would have got 15 years with four years extended licence, the judge said.
Northumbria PoliceAlice said she thought it would be a long time before Stubbs would be back in community, but in April the Prison and Probation Service sent her a letter telling her the rapist's medical team "would soon be considering escorted leaves" for him.
She was also asked to notify officials of any exclusion zone she wanted and told she would be informed of "the outcome of the leave application and any approved conditions" relating to her.
Escorted leave was described in the letter as "purposeful and designed to contribute to therapeutic rehabilitation", meaning a patient could leave the secure hospital accompanied by a staff member for short periods of time.
The thought of Stubbs being out of hospital was terrifying, the woman said, adding: "You get one life and I shouldn't have to live my life in fear.
"It was the shock factor at first, because of how soon it was, how could he be well enough for escorted release already?
"It's the first step towards release.
"My fear is he is going to come after us."
'Even more on edge'
The BBC contacted the service to ask why escorted leave was being considered so soon after sentencing.
Alice then received a letter apologising for any "confusion and distress" caused by the previous correspondence.
It said an application for leave was never actually made and "consideration for escorted leave has been put on hold" due to the concerns raised by Alice .
But there was no detail on when that "hold" might come to an end.
Alice said it had been a "horrible and confusing experience", adding: "It's just made me so anxious, because you're getting told one thing then another.
"They've put us through all this worry and stress thinking it's coming, the time's coming, he's coming.
"I've been even more on edge, in a terrifying state of limbo. It could all have been avoided with better communication."
Alice said she felt some relief escorted leave did not appear imminent, but was worried it would not be long before she was told it was being considered by clinicians again.
Alice's mum Sarah said her "bubbly, confident and happy" daughter was now "anxious, nervy and frightened".
"She won't go out alone, won't go anywhere after dark.
"An adult woman living in fear asking her mum to escort her to and from bus stops, getting her family to pick her up, she shouldn't have to live like that."
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We understand how distressing this was for the victim and have ensured they have the correct information."
The BBC asked a number of specific questions including whether Stubbs was ever considered for escorted leave, how the confusion occurred and why Alice received the information sent to her.
However, the Prison Service spokesperson said: "Clear and accurate communication with victims is essential, and we are updating the Victim Contact Scheme to make it easier for eligible victims to receive information about their offender."
No details of how this scheme is being updated, nor how it relates to Alice's experience, were offered.
Meanwhile Sarah said her daughter had not been given the right protection or support.
"I ask for two things for my children, and it's not to be rich and it's not to live in a massive house," she said.
"I ask for them to be safe and happy.
"The law can provide one of them, the 'safe', and unfortunately it's not."
