Rapist Released in Error Flees UK
A convicted rapist who threatened a woman with a knife and subjected her to multiple sexual assaults has fled the UK after being mistakenly released from prison.
Bernadin Dedic, 48, had been consuming red wine and cocaine when he produced a knife, warning his victim that if she screamed she "wouldn't be heard".
He forcibly removed the woman's clothing and subjected her to a series of rapes and sexual assaults over several hours.
Dedic was released from HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London on 6 February after a court official erroneously informed the prison that he had been granted bail.
Within hours of his release, Dedic, a businessman residing in Ealing, left the UK on the Eurostar and returned to Bosnia, his country of origin.
Although his UK passport had been confiscated by the Metropolitan Police during the investigation, he used his Bosnian passport to board the train.
Charges and Conviction
Dedic was remanded in custody last year on charges including 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.
On Tuesday, a jury found Dedic guilty on all nine counts in his absence.
'Terrified'
Dedic offered various reasons for not returning to face trial, including claims of a heart attack and a skiing accident, remaining in Bosnia as the trial proceeded at Isleworth Crown Court.
If he does not return for sentencing, UK authorities are expected to initiate extradition proceedings.
Prosecutor Simon Sanford informed the court that the assaults occurred at Dedic's west London residence shortly after he separated from his partner.
Dedic reportedly consumed large quantities of red wine and cocaine before luring the woman into his basement.
"When downstairs, she turned towards the stairs and saw him, holding a red-handled oriental kitchen knife,"
"He stepped towards her, took hold of her and said he would kill her and then kill himself.
"She was extremely frightened but tried to calm him down. He said if she screamed, she wouldn't be heard."
Efforts by a senior judge, police officers, and Border Force agents were made to facilitate Dedic's return to the UK for a March trial, but at the last moment, Dedic informed his lawyers he was unable to travel due to a knee injury.
Judge Martin Edmunds KC, Recorder of Kensington and Chelsea, postponed the trial from March to June to allow Dedic time to recover.
However, earlier this month, Dedic failed to attend court, claiming to have suffered a heart attack in Sarajevo.
Upon hearing this, Judge Hannah Duncan expressed skepticism, stating she was "far from convinced he has had a heart attack" but requested medical documentation to verify the claim.
The next day, with Dedic unrepresented after failing to pay his lawyers, the judge decided to proceed with the trial in his absence.
Erroneous Release from Prison
Previous hearings revealed that Dedic was mistakenly released from prison after a court official confused digital case files and incorrectly recorded that bail had been granted.
The bail notice was sent to the prison, resulting in Dedic's release.
Judge Edmunds stated in his ruling:
"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."
Following the revelation of Dedic's release, HM Courts and Tribunals Service launched an investigation. A spokesperson commented:
"We understand the distress errors such as this can cause to those affected and instances like this have exposed deep-rooted issues across the broken justice system the government inherited."
Eurostar Statement
Eurostar issued a statement expressing concern about the allegations:
"We are very concerned to hear about these allegations.
"Eurostar does not have access to passengers' criminal records and does not carry out border checks. These checks are undertaken by the relevant border authorities, who are responsible for determining an individual's eligibility to travel and enter a country."
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