Levi Bellfield: Milly Dowler's killer linked to grooming gang with SIX members at large
LEVI Bellfield, the serial killer who murdered Milly Dowler, has been linked to a London paedophile gang by officials.
Levi Bellfield: Profile of a murderer
Levi Bellfield is the serial killer who murdered two young women and the 13-year-old Milly Dowler between 2002 and 2004. He is currently serving two whole life tariffs for the killings and is the first prisoner in British history to be handed down two such sentences. However council officials in west London, where he committed all three murders, revealed in December that he was also part of a grooming gang that targeted at least 17 vulnerable underage girls.
In addition to Bellfield, they say that six more men are part of the paedophile ring, and they are still at large.
A senior social worker at Hillingdon council, Debbie Wessiang, made the report which has been handed to Metropolitan Police.
Ms Wessiang told The Sunday Times: “There are six other men in my report who are not serving full-life tariffs in prison and in my opinion pose a serious threat to children.
“I am deeply concerned there remains a risk to children both in the community and online from Bellfield’s associates.”
Ms Weissang added: “The men of interest have conditioned themselves to believe they have done nothing wrong and are untouchable.”
As ITV’s three-parter “Manhunt” draws to a close this evening, viewers will see how the Metropolitan Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton brought Bellfield to justice for the murder of Milly Dowler.
DCI Sutton has commented: “Bellfield was a serial sex predator when it came to young girls and we had evidence that linked him to a number of convicted paedophiles.”
He said: “There is new information in [the report] that my investigation was not aware of. I think the police and council should be taking it very seriously indeed.”
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Bellfield converted to Islam in prison and now goes by the name Yusuf Rahim.
His sister Anne-Marie Bellfield has spoken about how he cynically converted to be offered the protection of Muslim prison gangs, as he knew he would be a “marked man” in prison as a paedophile.
A spokesperson for Hillingdon Council said: “Following completion of the report the information was carefully reviewed by Hillingdon Council’s head of safeguarding in partnership with the Metropolitan Police to ensure a timely and proportionate response.
“A dedicated police resource was also assigned to review the information. Hillingdon Council’s children’s social care team conducted numerous safeguarding checks including liaison with all relevant agencies.”