Haci Tasan

Haci Tasan, a 32-year-old Turkish asylum seeker with no fixed address, carried out a series of brutal sexual attacks in Edmonton, north London, targeting vulnerable women in what the court described as a 'campaign of rape'. The offences began in April 2003 when Tasan assaulted a 64-year-old grandmother as she walked to work along Langhedge Lane. He admitted two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault in relation to this incident, which occurred on 4 April 2003.

Eight months later, on 23 December 2003, Tasan struck again in the same area, targeting a 19-year-old woman walking home from work in Fore Street. He admitted three counts of rape against her. In this attack, Tasan grabbed his victim by the throat, dragged her into a service road behind shops, and subjected her to a 30-minute ordeal of sexual violence until she managed to escape and raise the alarm. At the time, Tasan was living in a local authority flat less than half a mile from the attack sites.

The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation under Operation Sapphire, led by Detective Inspector Lloyd Gardner at Winchmore Hill police station. Following the first attack, officers issued public appeals for information, including on BBC's Crimewatch UK, and offered a £10,000 reward through Crimestoppers. Tasan fled to Switzerland without documentation, but with assistance from Swiss authorities, he was extradited back to the UK.

Tasan pleaded guilty to all five counts of rape at Harrow Crown Court in September 2005. On 18 November 2005, Judge Susan Tapping sentenced him to 14 years' imprisonment for each rape count and five years for the indecent assault, all to run concurrently. The judge remarked, 'The circumstances of these attacks clearly demonstrate you had begun a campaign of rape that would not stop unless you were identified. You have committed the most serious and appalling offences.'

Det Insp Lloyd Gardner stated, 'Haci Tasan generated fear within the local community following these horrific attacks. The two women involved were incredibly brave and continue to recover from their terrible ordeal.' He added that Tasan 'would have gone on to attack using even more violence had he not been caught'. The case highlighted the ongoing issue of sexual violence in urban areas and the importance of international cooperation in apprehending fugitives.