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Three police officers made an "error in judgement" by leaving a self-confessed sex attacker free to go on to rape a woman, the police watchdog has found.Kevin Tomlinson, 38, of Laurel Crescent, Long Eaton, called Derbyshire Police on New Year's Day to admit a sex attack on an 18-year-old girl.
Instead of arresting him, officers went to check on the victim, but Tomlinson left and went on to rape a woman.
Derbyshire Police said the incident was a matter of "great regret".
Tomlinson gave a police call handler the details of himself and his victim in a phone call shortly after the first sexual assault.
Two officers were sent to the address and found Tomlinson drunk and aggressive, but decided to leave and visit the victim to confirm the crime.
Tomlinson had told the police call handler he wanted to hurt someone else, but the information was not passed on.
When the officers left his home Tomlinson ran off and subjected another woman to a two-hour sexual assault.
He was jailed indefinitely at Derby Crown Court in April.
'Brutal rape'
IPCC commissioner Amerdeep Somal said: "He told police about the risk he presented. [The officers] regrettably made the wrong decisions in failing to arrest Kevin Tomlinson there and then.
"The officers could not have predicted Tomlinson would go on to commit a brutal rape, but they had ample grounds on which to arrest him for sexual assault.
"The harsh reality is had they done so at first opportunity, an horrific ordeal suffered by a woman innocently making her way home may have been prevented."
The watchdog also found that it was a "procedural error" for the same officers to visit the suspect and victim due to a risk of forensic cross-contamination.
The officers said they believed it was a "very busy" shift and no other officers were free to assist.
Management advice
But the failings amounted to judgement errors rather than serious neglect of their duties, investigators said.
The officers will be sanctioned by the force management.
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Goodwin said: "It is a matter of great regret to the Derbyshire Constabulary that Kevin Tomlinson committed a second assault that night and our thoughts are very much with the victim of that assault at this time.
"We accept the findings of the IPCC's report into this matter and the officers concerned have received management advice about their actions in response to these crimes.
"It is clear from the IPCC report that the attending officers had no information to indicate that Tomlinson was likely to go on and commit the second offence.
"Nevertheless there are lessons to be learned from this case and the force will ensure that these are reflected in our operational policing practices."This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.