A vulnerable woman was forced into hiding after council officials committed an unthinkable blunder that exposed her location to the dangerous rapist who had terrorised her.
Westminster City Council accidentally sent a benefits letter to the victim's new address - but in a catastrophic error, carbon-copied the same document to her attacker's home, revealing exactly where she had relocated for safety.
Safety Shattered by Administrative Error
The 27-year-old predator, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously been convicted of a horrific campaign of sexual violence against the woman. He was subject to a restraining order specifically designed to protect his victim from further harm.
Yet this protection was rendered meaningless when council workers failed to notice they were sending sensitive information to both addresses on their system.
Immediate Flight for Survival
Upon discovering the life-threatening error, the victim had no choice but to immediately abandon her home. She described feeling "sick to the stomach" when she realised her attacker now knew her location.
"I had to leave everything behind - my home, my sense of security, any progress I'd made in rebuilding my life," the victim explained. "The council's mistake handed him exactly what he wanted on a plate."
Council Admits "Unreserved Apology"
Westminster City Council has issued what they describe as an "unreserved apology" for the serious data breach. A spokesperson acknowledged the gravity of their failure: "We deeply regret this serious error and understand the distress it has caused."
The local authority confirmed they've implemented "additional safeguards" to prevent similar incidents, though this offers little comfort to a woman now displaced from her home.
Broader Implications for Victim Protection
This case raises alarming questions about how vulnerable people are protected by the systems designed to support them. Data protection failures can have consequences far beyond mere inconvenience when dealing with dangerous offenders.
The victim's ordeal highlights the critical need for robust procedures when handling information about those at risk from violent perpetrators.
