Parole board's move to free sadistic killer Steven Ling to be reconsidered

The Justice Secretary has called on the parole board to rethink their decision to release sadistic killer Steven Ling, who raped and murdered Joanne Tulip, back into the community.

Ling murdered Joanne, 29, on Christmas Day in 1997, stabbing her 60 times and carving shapes such as swastikas into her body. He was recommended for release early this month after his fifth parole hearing - a move which ‘terrified and shocked” her mother Doreen Soulsby.

However, Joanne’s family have been told Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has now submitted a reconsideration request to the Parole Board, and they will now have to decide whether to uphold their decision.

Ling's move to open prison has been blocked four times before, and because he was never charged with rape due to an oversight he won't be on a sex offenders list if freed.

Doreen, from Wall, Northumberland, said: “I welcome the decision taken by the Secretary of State for Justice to submit a reconsideration request to the Parole Board. This is a man who committed the most horrific sadistic crimes against my daughter, including stabbing her 60 times and raping her.”

“During the Parole Board hearing in July, it became apparent that Ling regularly fantasises about graphic sex, has high levels of sexual preoccupation and feels entitled to sex. Ling has spent 27 years in custody without having had sex,” she added.

“There is a possibility that once he is let out in the community, he will seriously harm other women and will use force to do so, as he did with Joanne. Aged 49, Ling is still a young man and is highly dangerous to all young women and girls. He must stay in prison to protect them.

“When the Parole Board reviews this case following the reconsideration request from the Justice Secretary, I strongly hope that they can see how much of a danger this man is, not only to the public but to all women and girls.”

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, Chair of Refuge, said: “Refuge welcomes the decision taken by the Secretary of State for Justice to submit a reconsideration request to the Parole Board after they decided to release Joanne Tulip’s murderer, Steven Ling, into the community.

She continued: “Ling committed the most heinous of crimes against Joanne in 1997, and it was clear that he continued to harbour sexual obsessions which formed the backdrop of his rape and murder of Joanne, yet despite this, he had been recommended for release straight into the community and not even via the Open Prison system.

“Today’s request from the Justice Secretary shows a commitment from the Lord Chancellor that violence against women and girls must be taken seriously and dangerous men cannot be allowed to walk free having not served all their prison sentence.”