A rape suspect wanted for three sex attacks on women may have been released from prison by mistake, the Ministry of Justice said today.
Joseph McCann, who is accused of abducting three women before raping them, is believed to have been released from prison early on licence because he was thought to 'no longer be dangerous'.
The 34-year-old, who police describe as 'extremely dangerous', is thought to have been released in 2017 after being jailed for aggravated burglary.
In 2008 McCann, then aged 23, was sentenced to an indeterminate prison sentence for threatening to stab an 85-year-old man in his home.
He told the elderly man 'give me money or I will knife you' before taking his wallet and banking papers.
McCann was given an indeterminate sentence, meaning he could only have been released if he convinced a parole board he was no longer dangerous. His release two years ago suggests he was able to do that.
The suspected rapist is now being hunted for abducting three women off the street before attacking them over a period of four days.
Officers have issued an appeal to trace 33-year-old Joseph McCann (pictured) wanted in connection with the abduction and rape of two women
Initially suspected of two abductions and attacks, he is also wanted in connection with the rape of a 21-year-old woman at knifepoint in Watford in the early hours of April 21.
The victim was forced into a blue Mondeo and driven to numerous locations around the town for six hours, before she was raped.
A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for information which leads to the arrest and prosecution of McCann.
The Metropolitan Police earlier issued an appeal to trace McCann for two suspected abductions and rapes, after victims were snatched off the street in Chingford and Edgware, both in north London, before being raped.
McCann, who is known to use false names - most recently Joel - has links to Watford, Hertfordshire, Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and Ipswich in Suffolk, police said.
As news of the third rape emerged, Hertfordshire Police said: 'We are investigating the rape of a 21-year-old woman in Watford in the early hours of Sunday 21 April. It is believed that a woman was approached by a man holding a knife in Hagden Lane, Watford, close to the junction with Rickmansworth Road at around 3.30am.
'She was forced into a blue Ford Mondeo and driven to numerous locations around the town over the next six hours. These included the Rushton estate in Watford, near to Watford Library on Hempstead Road, North Western Avenue, and the BP garage on Wiggenhall Road. During this time she was raped at an address in the town.
A map showing where the women were abducted and the location of the guesthouse in Watford
'A suspect was identified and a significant amount of work was done to try and locate and arrest him, which proved unsuccessful. The named suspect was circulated on our social media channels as wanted on recall to prison on Thursday (25 April) as a result of our investigation.
'The matter is being linked to the offences currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service.'
It has emerged that one of the women abducted in north London, who were both in their 20s, managed to escape following her abduction on April 25 after smashing a vodka bottle over the kidnapper's head.
McCann is of muscular build and 5ft 10ins tall. He has blue eyes, a bald head or shaved
