London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, has stated that victims and their families were “grossly failed” by a court system that granted bail to sex offender Zafer Dogan, allowing him to repeatedly return to a flat overlooking a playground he targeted. Dogan, 32, from Enfield in north London, was sentenced to two years and four months on Thursday for taking thousands of photographs of children and using AI technology to create non-consensual intimate images.
Dogan pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including making indecent images of children—encompassing hundreds of images across categories A, B, and C—possessing extreme pornography, obstructing police, and creating purported intimate images of an adult. Police reported that he had captured more than 5,000 images from his bedroom window.
Despite objections from both police and prosecutors, Dogan remained on conditional bail throughout much of the legal proceedings. This decision forced one victim’s family to relocate to temporary accommodation due to fear. Simon told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the justice system appeared not to center victims, suggesting that prison capacity pressures were being prioritized over victim safety.
Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, described the bail decision as “unfathomable,” noting that prosecutors had built clear cases on the great risk Dogan posed. He echoed concerns raised by former justice officials about the independence of judicial decisions regarding remand and bail.
The case has drawn parallels with the high-profileSimon Levy controversy, where serial offender was free on bail during the commission of further serious crimes. Simon highlighted these similarities to argue for systemic reform, while also expressing concern over the government’s early release scheme, which could see thousands of offenders leaving prison by year’s end.
The Ministry of Justice clarified that while the Crown Prosecution Service can challenge bail decisions, final authority rests with the independent judiciary, who must balance the protection of the public against individual circumstances. A multi-agency review has been called for by Simon to address these recurring issues within the justice system.
I wonder if the conditional bail restrictions were actually enforced. A multi-agency review is long overdue to prevent this from happening again.
Is this another Simon Levy situation? It feels like prison overcrowding is being used as an excuse to release dangerous offenders back onto the streets.
I am stunned that the police and prosecutors both objected, yet bail was still granted. This suggests a serious breakdown in inter-agency communication.
This is absolutely outrageous. How can a court allow someone to live near a playground he targeted? The system has completely failed these families.