24 Hours in Police Custody: ‘Clare’s Law’ used to warn partner of Luton sex attacker who raped a 15-year-old

A Luton man who raped a 15-year-old girl will be featured in tonight’s episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody.

The Channel 4 documentary will focus on Bedfordshire Police’s pursuit of Kye Dell from Luton, who was jailed in 2020 for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl.

At the time, the victim recalled how he kept making advances towards her after offering her a place to stay following a falling out with her family. But when she refused, he raped her.

His partner – at the time of filming the episode of the Channel 4 programme – made a ‘Clare’s Law’ request and features detectives from the force’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team speaking to her and disclosing his criminal convictions.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Laws said: “This episode of 24 Hours is a powerful illustration of Clare’s Law in action. Throughout the programme his current partner speaks positively about Dell and his treatment of her, but is disgusted by the criminal behaviour and abuse disclosed by our detectives.

“We know how difficult it can be for people in abusive relationships. These are often fraught with emotions and complex pasts, plus many abusers will use psychological manipulation and grooming to make a victim feel trapped and powerless.

“In the domestic abuse team, we have specially trained victim engagement officers who will disclose the information to victims in a safe and secure environment, away from the perpetrator, and will then work with the victim on their individual safeguarding or support needs.

“There is no obligation to leave a partner following a disclosure, and the support provided remains open to when and if a victim is ready to reach out and access it.”

Under the Clare’s Law scheme an individual or third party such as a family member can ask the police to check whether a current partner has a violent or abusive past.

If records show that an individual may be at risk of domestic abuse from a partner, the police will consider disclosing the information. They can also consider proactively notifying someone under the scheme if they have concerns for their safety.

PC Heather Hutchinson, a specialist trained officer in Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, who features in this evening's episode, said: "In this particular case, the offender was in his 20s, but pertaining to be younger.

"At first glance, he doesn’t look like a predator, but was meeting with countless young girls, subjecting them to sexual assault and violence, encouraging them to send explicit photographs, infiltrating their homes and grooming their family members by building that trust so he could plan his attack and move onto the next victim.

“Sexual violence starts long before we think it does and encouraging young girls to send explicit photographs of themselves can be the start of something more sinister.

"We will listen and we will act, so please have the confidence to come forward."

24 Hours in Police Custody is due to air on Channel 4 at 9pm.

Bedfordshire Police has made almost 100 disclosures for information over the past 12 months and, in the final week of the national 16 Days of Action to tackle domestic abuse, officers are encouraging people to come forward if they have concerns.