Bognor murder: Police could do nothing to prevent murder - official finding

Sussex Police Police referred the death on July 29 2008 of Mrs Hasanavic to the IPCC because of the contact she had with the force prior to her death.

The role of the IPCC investigation was to investigate the circumstances of Sussex Police's actions and involvement in their dealings with Cassandra in the months leading up to her death, to examine the police response to those incidents and consider if these were appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances.

Its finding was that that officers acted appropriately.

IPCC Commissioner Mike Franklin said: "I would like to add my condolences to Cassandra's family and friends for their loss, and can appreciate the distress caused by the accounts of her killing at the court case.

"The IPCC investigation was thorough and I do not believe that the tragic events that unfolded on 29 July could reasonably have been foreseen by Sussex Police and prevented.

"The police seem to have taken reasonable steps to secure evidence from Cassandra and obtained statements of complaint from her to support her allegations. Steps were being made to apprehend Hajrundin Hasanavic.

"The actions of officers were appropriate and led to a marker being placed on her record to treat all calls as urgent.

"A panic alarm was installed at her home and the police were instrumental in a housing referral so that she could move away from the area.

"Despite Cassandra's request for the police to drive her to a refuge in Dorset they were not obliged to do so, especially as she was being accompanied and the refuge was outside of the Sussex Police area.

"Sussex Police have already taken steps to implement organisational learning, but none of the measures to be considered would in our view have prevented Cassandra from being killed."