An urgent manhunt is underway for a knifepoint rapist who was mistakenly released from prison and fled the United Kingdom. Bernadin Dedic, 48, was convicted in his absence on all nine counts after being accidentally freed from HMP Wormwood Scrubs and escaping on the Eurostar to Bosnia.
The Crime
Dedic, a businessman living in Ealing, west London, had been drinking red wine and was high on cocaine when he brandished a knife at his victim, warning her that if she screamed she 'wouldn't be heard.' He forcibly removed her clothes before subjecting her to multiple rapes and sexual assaults in a horrifying ordeal lasting several hours.
He was charged with four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, threatening a person with a knife in a private place, and making a threat to kill.
The Mistaken Release
In February, Dedic was erroneously set free from HMP Wormwood Scrubs after a court official incorrectly informed the prison that he had been granted bail. Within hours, he departed the UK on the Eurostar and returned to his home country of Bosnia.
The defendant offered a string of excuses for not returning to face justice, including claims of a heart attack and a skiing accident. He remained in Bosnia as the trial proceeded this month at Isleworth Crown Court.
Trial and Conviction
On Tuesday, a jury convicted Dedic on all nine charges in his absence. Prosecutor Simon Sandford told the court Dedic carried out the attacks at his west London home shortly after separating from his partner. Dedic is thought to have consumed as much as four bottles of red wine and snorted lines of cocaine before luring the woman to his basement after she had turned down his offer of 'no strings attached' sex.
'When downstairs, she turned towards the stairs and saw him, holding a red-handled oriental kitchen knife,' said the prosecutor. 'He stepped towards her, took hold of her and said he would kill her and then kill himself.' Dedic slapped the woman in the face, used the knife to cut off her sports bra and top, and ordered her to remove the rest of her clothing.
Extradition Efforts
If Dedic fails to return for the sentencing hearing, UK authorities are expected to commence extradition proceedings. His UK passport had been confiscated by the Metropolitan Police during the rape investigation, but following his release he used his Bosnian passport to book a place on the Eurostar.
Judge Hannah Duncan, who ruled the trial would proceed without the defendant, noted that Dedic had sought medical assistance only after informing the court of chest pain, tests showed a normal heart rate, and he was discharged. 'This is yet another attempt by Mr Dedic to obstruct, manipulate and avoid justice,' she concluded.
Investigation into the Error
Judge Martin Edmunds KC stated: 'Although such errors are extremely rare, and indeed this is the only instance I am aware of when there has been an erroneous release of a prisoner held in custody to this court, we take this error extremely seriously. We will fully investigate how it occurred and what steps can be put in place to prevent it occurring again.'
HM Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed that extra independent verification procedures are being implemented within the courts system to help prevent future blunders. 'We fully understand the distress these types of errors will cause and action has already been taken to address errors made in this case,' a spokesperson said. 'Our focus now is working closely with the police and CPS to return this offender to custody so they can face justice.'
