A worldwide manhunt is underway for the man who attacked Katie Piper with acid, with police launching an 'urgent' bid to track him down after he fled the UK.
Stefan Sylvestre was released on parole in 2020, 11 years after carrying out the assault on the TV star which left her with horrific injuries including major damage to her face and blindness in one eye. The thug was in the process of being recalled to prison for breaching his parole conditions when he went on the run.
Sylvestre was sentenced to life with a minimum of six years for the attack on Katie, 38, before being freed on parole in 2018 with orders to stay away from his victim. However, in 2019 he was recalled to prison over an unrelated incident, before receiving parole again in 2020 after prosecution errors came to light, The Mirror reports.
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The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “Officers are appealing for information to find a man wanted for recall to prison. Police were notified on Friday, 23 September, that Stefan Sylvestre, 34, had been recalled to prison. His last known address was in north London.
“Enquiries undertaken so far indicate that Sylvestre left the UK on Tuesday, 2 August. Officers from the Met's Specialist Crime Command continue to work with partner agencies to locate and arrest him. Sylvestre should not be approached.
“Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call police on 999 quoting CAD6239/23Sep. To give information anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Katie was attacked by then 19-year-old Sylvestre on the orders of her obsessive former boyfriend Daniel Lynch. Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years, and will not be considered for release until 2025.
The devastating attack left Katie requiring 400 operations to treat her burns. Though she has thankfully since rebuilt her life with numerous TV appearances, an OBE for her work raising awareness for burns survivors, and two daughters with her husband Richard Sutton, the star said in her victim impact statement following the assault: “When the acid was thrown at me, it felt like I was burning in hell.
“It was an indescribable, unique, torturous pain. I have lost my future, my career, my spirit, my body, my looks, my dignity…the list goes on.
“All I am left with is an empty shell. A part of me has died that will never come back. This is worse than death.”
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