A woman was kidnapped from a foster home and taken 170 miles away, before she was raped and sexually assaulted.
Five people have now been jailed after the victim bravely came forward in November 2020. She reported she was abducted from foster care in Crowthorne, Berkshire, and was later found by police in Sheffield, Berkshire Live reports.
She said she was raped over a period of years and assaulted. After a 'significant' investigation, eight people were charged on March 3, 2021, and have now received a total of 37 years and six months in prison between them.
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A 59-year-old man from Slough who cannot be named for legal reasons was found guilty of five counts of rape and one count each of rape of a girl under 13, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and conspiracy to kidnap. The jury also found him not guilty of one count of holding a person in slavery or servitude.
A woman from London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping. She was also found not guilty of one count of holding a person in slavery.
The 59-year-old from Slough was sentenced to 24 years in prison at Reading Crown Court on April 28, 2022. The 39-year-old woman from London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
Nutel-Virgil Papadache, aged 41, of Brunswick Road, Sheffield has been sentenced to four years in prison after the jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Marius Bucur, aged 19, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after the jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to kidnap.
Alexandru Olteanu, aged 20, of Austen Close, London, was sentenced to six months in prison after the jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Aurelia Stan, aged 38, of Brunswick Road, Sheffield, was also found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap. She is due to be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on 25 May.
The jury found both Alina Dogaru, aged 27, and Alexandru Monu, aged 24, both of Brunswick Road, Sheffield, not guilty of one count of conspiracy to kidnap. Detective Inspector Stuart May, of the East Berkshire Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I would like to praise the bravery demonstrated by the victim in providing evidence in court and reporting it to police in the first place.
"The sentences passed recognises the seriousness of the abuse she suffered, and the danger posed to her by those involved. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all the officers involved in this investigation which secured convictions for offences of the utmost seriousness, whilst providing some justice for the victim.
"The response of those involved undoubtedly prevented the victim from suffering further serious harm. The collaborative effort of our teams across Thames Valley Police was instrumental in securing the charges against the suspects who were being held in custody within other police forces.
"This challenging investigation took nearly a year to conclude and represented a significant demand on the unit. I am grateful to the whole team who worked tirelessly to manage business as usual, so my thanks go to them.”
