A rapist who subjected a woman to a horrific hours-long attack has been mistakenly released from prison and is now believed to have fled to Bosnia.
Bernadin Dedic, 48, was remanded in custody last year after being charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. However, in February, he was wrongly set free from HMP Wormwood Scrubs after a court official mistakenly told the prison he had been granted bail. Within hours, Dedic had left the UK on the Eurostar and returned to his native Bosnia.
The Attack
The court heard that after consuming four bottles of red wine and snorting cocaine, Dedic lured the woman to his basement in Ealing, west London. He held a knife to her, cut off her clothes, and subjected her to a series of rapes and sexual assaults that lasted for several hours.
Prosecutor Simon Sanford told Isleworth Crown Court that Dedic had separated from his partner and invited the woman for sex. When she refused, he grabbed a red-handled kitchen knife and threatened to kill her and himself. The terrified victim complied with his demands.
Flight from Justice
After his mistaken release, Dedic used his Bosnian passport to leave the UK on the Eurostar. He then put forward a series of excuses for not returning, including claims of a heart attack and a skiing accident. Despite efforts by a senior judge, police, and Border Force agents to facilitate his return, Dedic failed to appear for his trial.
Judge Hannah Duncan said she was "far from convinced he has had a heart attack" and noted that Dedic only sought medical help after telling the court he had chest pain. Tests showed his heart rate was normal, and he was discharged from hospital. The judge concluded: "This is yet another attempt by Mr Dedic to obstruct, manipulate and avoid justice."
Conviction and Extradition
On Tuesday, a jury convicted Dedic on all nine counts in his absence. If he fails to return for sentencing, UK authorities are expected to commence extradition proceedings to bring him back to serve a lengthy jail term.
The accidental release was caused by a court official mixing up digital case files. Judge Martin Edmunds KC said: "Although such errors are extremely rare, 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 has launched an investigation, with a spokesperson stating: "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."
