MID SCOTLAND and Fife MSP Ted Brocklebank has demanded an independent inquiry into the murder and said yesterday’s report highlighted a “catalogue of failures” by Fife police and Fife Council social work service over a five-year period.

Mr Brocklebank said, “There is evidence of a clear breakdown in communications between the agencies involved which appear to have resulted in failures of risk assessment, supervision and support mechanisms.”

He also criticised the fact no risk assessment was carried out by police after Evans was discharged from Geilsland Residential School, which was not followed up by social work, and the lack of communication between the two agencies.

“It is particularly disturbing that a youth whose sexual history was as well known as Colyn Evans’s, and who had largely disengaged from the support services provided to him, was allocated temporary accommodation in Tayport over 20 miles away from his family home in Kennoway, with little apparent supervision or support.

“According to the report Fife Council failed to inform Fife Constabulary that Evans had moved to Tayport, but when his conduct did alert the police to his arrival in the town, it appears they did not alert the Child Support Agency of his alleged house-breaking in Tayport, nor was the Throughcare service informed that he had tried to commit suicide on September 13, 2004.

“I believe today’s report raises disturbing questions about the inter-relation of support agencies and the police, particularly in relation to how non-registered sex offenders, who are assessed as being at high risk of re- offending, are supervised in the community. It is also important that common practice is established across Scotland’s support agencies and police forces.

“I will be writing to Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson demanding an independent inquiry into the murder…to establish whether it is true, as claimed in today’s report, that ‘the tragic event of January 20 could not reasonably have been predicted nor avoided’.”