A convicted paedophile who abducted a six-year-old girl from her bath, raped her, and abandoned her naked on a freezing street could be released from prison next month after two decades behind bars.
The Chilling Attack That Shocked a Community
Peter Voisey, now 54, was given a life sentence for the horrific assault on the evening of 27 December 2005. The predator sneaked into the child's home in Willington Quay, Wallsend, North Tyneside, while she was playing happily in the bath. Her mother was putting a toddler sibling to bed in another room.
Voisey placed his hand over the girl's mouth to silence her, bundled her into his Vauxhall Astra, and subjected her to a 15-minute ordeal. He drove around Wallsend, parking twice to rape and sexually assault the terrified youngster. He then dumped her, naked and crying for her mother, in a back lane just streets from her home.
A Frantic Search and Swift Justice
The child's mother raised the alarm with a frantic 999 call after noticing an eerie silence from the bathroom. Just nine minutes later, police received another call from a local couple. The victim was found by Geoffrey Brown, who heard crying and discovered the shivering, traumatised girl in the street.
Forensic evidence, including partial shoe prints on the wet bathroom floor, linked Voisey to the crime. His alibi that he was buying cannabis collapsed when friends refused to support his story. Police also recovered his diary, where the entry for that day read: 'Phew, it's over. Chill now.'
Following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in 2006, where harrowing evidence moved jurors to tears, Voisey was found guilty of rape, sexual assault, and abduction. Judge David Hodson jailed him for life with a minimum term of 10 years, warning he might never be released.
Parole Board to Decide on Release
Now, a Parole Board panel is set to convene in February 2025 for Voisey's sixth parole review. A spokesman stated the decision will focus solely on the risk he poses to the public and whether that risk can be managed in the community.
The panel will examine extensive evidence, including details of the original crime, reports on his behaviour in prison, and victim impact statements. Witnesses, including probation officers and psychiatrists, will be questioned during a hearing expected to last at least a full day.
The Parole Board emphasised that protecting the public is its paramount priority. The outcome will determine whether Voisey, having served 20 years, is deemed safe to return to the streets.
