Convicted Murderer Worked with Children Despite Being Barred After Serving Life Sentence: Report

• A convicted murderer spent almost two years working with children despite being barred following his release from prison, it’s been reported
• Rashid Zaman was one of three thieves jailed for life in December 2002 after fatally attacking a young father, per the BBC and The Guardian
• He was then released in 2017 before starting to volunteer at a U.K. charity in 2021, where he ended up working in schools, the BBC reported

A man in England who was previously found guilty of murder spent nearly two years working with children despite being barred following his release from prison, it’s been reported.

Rashid Zaman, of Bradford, West Yorkshire, was one of three thieves jailed for life in December 2002 after fatally attacking young father Kevin Jackson, who was trying to stop them stealing his in-laws’ car in Halifax, West Yorkshire, The Guardian and the BBC previously reported.

The BBC stated that Zaman, now 44, was released from jail in 2017 after spending 15 years behind bars. In 2021, he started volunteering with St Giles Trust, a U.K. charity that works with ex-offenders to help get their lives back on track.

The charity insisted Zaman had not told them he’d been barred from working with children, the outlet reported, adding that he was “dismissed” once senior management found out. A spokesperson for St. Giles Trust confirmed to PEOPLE that the details in the BBC article were all correct.

The U.K.’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which helps employers make safer recruitment decisions, provided Zaman with two certificates — one in 2021, which didn’t mention he’d been barred from working with children, and another in March 2023, which did say he’d been barred — per the BBC. The outlet stated it had seen both documents and that Zaman had shown them to St. Giles when asked.

The charity said senior management wasn’t made aware of the March 2023 document until December 2024, per the outlet. Zaman had reportedly had contact with 28 children since he’d been barred, the BBC stated.

A spokesperson for St. Giles Trust confirmed to PEOPLE, “The individual failed to disclose their new status, which only came to light when a partner organization sought confirmation.”

“This should never have happened … we have since strengthened our internal processes to ensure this cannot happen again and deeply regret the oversight.”

A charity spokesperson said in an additional statement obtained by PEOPLE, “It is crucial to note that at no time had this individual’s circumstances changed. They had not reoffended, nor had they breached the conditions of their licence.” 

A former charity staff member, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC that Zaman had gone into “about three” schools as part of the organization’s SOS+ Service program. 

The source added that he’d sometimes visit the schools alone, per the outlet, as well as doing “outreach work, supporting young people,” liaising “with families,” and reportedly carrying out “home visits.”

“I feel really upset and annoyed because they are not just putting the young people at risk, they are putting staff at risk too,” the anonymous source told the BBC.

A description on the charity’s site says, “The SOS+ Service delivers preventative and early intervention work to children and young people, as well as training for parents and professionals in educational and community settings.”

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Among its programs, St. Giles offers employment support to those looking for help after leaving prison, according to the website.

“Evidence shows that lived-experience [programs] like ours reduce offending by 21%, while also providing meaningful employment that allows people to give back to their communities,” a charity spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

When approached by PEOPLE for comment on Zaman’s DBS certificates, the government office said, “In line with policy and legislation, we’re unable to comment on individual cases.”

A spokesperson added, “Anyone convicted or cautioned for certain serious offences, including murder, will — subject to the consideration of representations where permitted — be barred from working in regulated activity with children and/or vulnerable adults.”

“It is the responsibility of the employer to review the DBS certificates of their employees in regulated activity for any barring decisions, or make a suitability decision based on any conviction information,” the spokesperson said. 

DBS also pointed out that it “issues certificates based on the information available at the time of the check. For individuals with convictions, an application to work or volunteer in regulated activity may prompt a discretionary barring investigation, but until it has reached its conclusion, the certificate will state that they are not barred.” 

Local police said in a statement shared with PEOPLE, “West Yorkshire Police has been examining the full circumstances of the report made to us and launched a criminal investigation regarding alleged offending.” Police said they couldn’t name individuals but said that the statement had previously been obtained by the BBC in response to a question they had about the case.

“We can advise that legal proceedings in the case are active and want to reassure residents that ensuring public safety in all our work with partners and the general public remains our priority,” they added.

PEOPLE has also reached out to the U.K.’s Charity Commission and is awaiting a comment.