Three men convicted of kidnap and rape of woman in Bedford

Three men have been found guilty for the kidnap, false imprisonment and rape of a woman who had been on a night out in Bedford.

Gemti Hyka, 31, of Cambridge Road, Ibrahim Bezati, 36, of Caves Lane, and Vullnet Haka, 33, of Washburn Close – all from Bedford, were found guilty of offences including kidnap, false imprisonment and rape following a three-week trial at Luton Crown Court.

The trial heard how in September 2021, the victim went to Bedford town centre to enjoy a meal and some drinks with a friend and later went to a nightclub where she was approached by Hyka, but she walked away with her friend.

Later that evening on the high street, Hyka approached the victim again, who had split away from her friend. He then kidnapped her and took her to a BP garage in his car in Newnham Avenue. The victim tried to signal for help but was unsuccessful. He then took her to a house in Kempston where Bezati and Haka were waiting.

At the property, the victim was forced to take cocaine before being raped by all three men. She eventually managed to escape and flagged down a member of the public who helped her contact the police and family.

All three denied the offences but were found guilty at Luton Crown Court today, Thursday (14 April):

• Hyka was found guilty of one count of kidnap, one count of false imprisonment and three counts of rape.
• Bezati was found guilty of one count of false imprisonment and two counts of rape.
• Haka was found guilty of one count of false imprisonment and two counts of rape.

Detective Constable Hannah Latton, from Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team said: “This was an horrific case where the victim was effectively targeted by these men, who took her to a property where she was held against her will and repeatedly raped.

“Thankfully incidents such as these are incredibly rare, but the result should serve as reassurance to anyone who has been through the trauma of rape or serious sexual assault. We will believe you and do everything in our power to bring such predators to justice.

“The victim showed tremendous courage by facing her attackers in court, even though they had the audacity to deny the offences, putting her through a further ordeal of re-living the incident during the trial. Her evidence was crucial to ensuring these men will remain behind bars for a considerable amount of time.

“Nobody should feel they cannot speak up about abuse. We will treat every case professionally with the utmost compassion and have specialist officers trained to support people who have experienced such horrendous offences.”

Bedfordshire Police has a significant focus on tackling perpetrators of male violence against women and girls (MVAWG), and is working with other organisations to support and improve women’s safety across the county. 

Victims of rape and sexual assault can receive support and guidance from Bedfordshire Police and partner agencies, including the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and Bedford Domestic Abuse Partnership (BDAP), as well as support through the criminal investigation process.

Reports of sexual assault, even if non-recent, can be made to the police by calling 101 or online.

You can also contact the SARC Emerald Centre by visiting the website, emailing [email protected] or calling 01234 897052.

Always call 999 in an emergency.