An inquiry was called for yesterday after a court in Derry was told a jailed paedophile could not be interviewed by the police about fresh child sex abuse allegations for more than two years because of a shortage of police manpower.
Marie Brown, of Foyle Women's Aid, said it was outrageous that William Anthony McCafferty (61) was interviewed about 18 additional child sex abuse offences 27 months after his victim made a statement of complaint against him.
McCafferty was jailed for 12 years in 2002 when he admitted sexually abusing three young girls between 1971 and 1984. When the 18 additional charges of abusing another young girl between 1985 and 1989 were put to him, he also admitted those.
However, Judge Desmond Marrinan was told that it took the police from August 2004 until October 2006 to interview McCafferty because no police officers were available to question him.
Judge Marrinan was also told that on five occasions McCafferty was taken from prison to a police station for questioning about the latest offences, but on each occasion no officer was available to speak to him.
Ms Brown said the 27-month delay would make it more difficult for other abuse victims to come forward.
"It is an outrage and it is neglect and it merits a police inquiry right to the top of the PSNI. Why was this victim's complaint not processed for over two years? Everyone should be angry at the way this victim has been treated, not only by her abuser but also by the authorities.
"This case could have been lost because of the delay caused by a lack of police officers to investigate it. It shows that the PSNI has not given enough priority or resources to cases of this type.
"I just find it almost impossible to believe that it took an organisation with thousands of officers over two years to interview a convicted sex offender who was in jail," she said.
McCafferty, a former milkman who admitted abusing his victim in his Marlborough Street home in Derry, at times after picking her up from school in his milk float, was jailed for 2½ years for his latest offences. He was banned from ever working with children under 18 years, placed on the sex offenders' register, and subjected to a sexual offences prevention order.
Sentencing him, Judge Marrinan said it was "rather strange no one was available to interview you until October 2006".