KENNY MacAskill, the justice secretary, yesterday publicly apologised to a schoolgirl who was raped by a prisoner on the run from an open jail.
The minister told MSPs he could not begin to imagine the suffering inflicted on the 16-year-old and her family.
"Her fortitude and resilience throughout this whole process has been amazing and I pay tribute to her determination in trying to rebuil
d her life," he told the Scottish Parliament.
"I apologise unreservedly to her for the shortcomings within our prison system that have allowed this individual to put her through such pain.
"I will be meeting this brave young woman and her family very soon to give her that apology in person and with it the admiration and good wishes of this whole parliament."
The minister's apology came when he made a statement to MSPs about the case of Robert Foye, 28, who raped the youngster after absconding from Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee last August. Foye previously had absconded from Castle Huntly in 2005, but was later returned to the jail.
A report by the Scottish Prison Service published last week found there was "always a possibility" that Foye could abscond but said it could not have been predicted that he would go on to commi rape.
Mr MacAskill told how Foye was arrested on 25 August last year in the Cumbernauld area after absconding from Castle Huntly seven days previously. In January he pleaded guilty to the charge of rape while unlawfully at large and is awaiting sentence.
The minister told MSPs that, as well as seven immediate recommendations from the report, he had asked for two further steps to rebuild public confidence.
He has ordered the prison service to create individual governors at Castle Huntly and Noranside prisons in view of the "substantially increased numbers" of prisoners held there.
"Second, and most importantly, there will be a clear presumption against returning a prisoner to the open estate if they have previously absconded," said Mr MacAskill.
He acknowledged the "concern" that could arise when a prisoner who had previously absconded was returned to open conditions. But the possibility had to be retained of returning some offenders to open prisons if this could improve public safety, and a blanket ban would be subject to legal challenge.
Bill Aitken, the Tory justice spokesman, said he was pleased a statement was made to Holyrood, saying Mr MacAskill had initially been reluctant to do so.
The full article contains 416 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
