Romanian grooming gang jailed for raping and sexually exploiting women

Members of a Romanian grooming gang have been jailed for raping and sexually exploiting 10 vulnerable women in Dundee.

Four men and one woman were found guilty in January of dozens of offences - including rape - following an investigation into sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and the supply of drugs in the Tayside area.

The gang plied their victims with drugs, including crack cocaine, at various properties between June 2021 and September 2022.

Some of those that were preyed upon became addicted to the illicit substances, leading them to be blackmailed into sex.

Mircea Marian Cumpanasoiu, 38, Remus Stan, 35, Catalin Dobre, 45, Cristian Urlateanu, 41, and Alexandra Bugonea, 35, denied any wrongdoing but were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Judge Lord Scott said much of the gang "deflected, minimised, denied and lied" about their offending.

He told the gang: "It maybe you thought that no one cared for your victims, meaning you could do whatever you wanted to them without consequence. If so, events have proved you wrong.

"Each of the women found the strength to give evidence despite their difficulties and have taken steps to move on from that stage in their lives.

"I commend them for having taken back control of their lives to the extent that they were able to do that and testify about the abuse they suffered at your hands."

Returning to the dock on Monday, ringleader Cumpanasoiu was handed a 24-year extended sentence, with 20 years in jail and four years on licence once released back into the community.

Stan was sentenced to 12 years in jail; Dobre was sentenced to 10 years in jail; Urlateanu was handed a 20-year extended sentence, with 18 years in jail and two years on licence; and Bugonea was sentenced to eight years in jail.

Lord Scott told the gang it would be a matter for the Home Office, but it was likely they would be deported on the completion of their sentences.

Speaking to Sky News, the boss of a charity that aims to tackle modern slavery said the case was "particularly shocking" as the victims were "handpicked because of their vulnerabilities".

James Clarry, chief executive of Justice and Care, added: "The criminals were prowling the streets of Dundee looking for women who matched the conditions that they knew would make them particularly vulnerable, and then off the back of that, exploited them sexually on a sustained and brutal basis."

Detective Inspector Scott Carswell called the offenders "deplorable".

He told Sky News the gang supplied the women with alcohol and free Class A drugs at parties, before coercing them into sexual activity, "which a lot of them didn't want to do".

"They were so addicted to the drugs that they knew the only way they could get the drugs was to perform the sexual acts that they were having to get involved in," he said.

DI Carswell said the gang got the women addicted in a bid to control them and keep them coming back for more.

He added: "They've had no thought as to the impact this is having on the victims. It's been quite controlled in that they knew what they were doing."

Police Scotland said the offenders were arrested and charged as part of Operation Recloir, launched in late 2021 to target a gang of suspected human traffickers in the Tayside area.

'Groomed and used'

DI Carswell said the inquiry initially focused on brothel-keeping in Dundee and the suspected trafficking of Romanian women into the country.

"However, into the summer of 2022 we started to receive information that the crime group were targeting vulnerable Dundee females," he added.

"And it looked like they were grooming them and coercing them with gifts of free drugs and other things until it moved on to the victims having to get involved in sexual activity to get the free drugs.

"Unfortunately, this got them addicted to the Class A drugs that had been provided."

DI Carswell said many of the victims believed they were the girlfriends of the men involved and did not realise they were being "groomed and used".

He said the women were looking to be "cared for", noting: "I believe that the end goal here was to groom the females and possibly move them into prostitution."

At the time of conviction, DI Carswell said work remained ongoing to ensure the women's welfare and long-term safeguarding.

The detective believes his team identified all the victims, but not everyone wished to engage with the inquiry.

DI Carswell added: "What I would say to them is even at this time if they don't want to engage with the police, the support's always there if they need help with anything on the back of this."

In addition to the jail sentences, the gang were also placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Stan was separately handed a five-year Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Order (TEPO).

Fiona Kirkby, procurator fiscal for high court sexual offences, said: "This gang ruthlessly exploited vulnerable women for their own gain, without any regard for the suffering and trauma they caused.

"Urlateanu, Bugonea and Dobre's attempts to escape justice by fleeing abroad failed when police found and returned them to Scotland to await trial."

Ms Kirby branded the crimes "reprehensible" as she praised the courage of the victims in speaking out.

She added: "Thanks to their bravery, and the support given to them by charity organisations and justice partners, this prosecution was made possible, ensuring other women and girls are protected from these offenders."

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