Gang jailed for raping 10 women

A Romanian grooming gang led by a “winking, smirking pimp” has been jailed for raping and sexually abusing ten women in flats across Dundee.

The four men and one woman plied their victims, aged between 16 and 30, with drugs at various properties between 2021 and 2022.

Ringleader Marian Cumpanasoiu, 38, along with Remus Stan, 35, Cristian Urlateanu, 41, Cataline Dobre, 45, and Alexandra Bugonea, 35, were previously convicted of 30 charges at the High Court in Glasgow.

Cumpanasoiu was sentenced to 24 years, Urlateanu to 20 years, Stan to 12 years, Dobre to 10 years and Bugonea to eight years.

Judge Lord Scott said that several members of the group had “deflected and minimised” their offending against vulnerable victims.

He added: “By offering them an unending supply of mostly free crack cocaine, you exacerbated their vulnerabilities and proceeded to exploit them for your own sexual gratification and, in some cases, for financial gain.

“No doubt you assumed, rightly for some time, that the drug-related lifestyles of the women meant you would not be reported or detected.”

The judge said the gang had used the women’s vulnerability “to try to attack their credibility”.

Lord Scott continued: “It may be that you thought 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.”

The rapes took place at properties across Dundee.

The judge said that it would be a matter for the Home Office, but it was likely that the gang would be deported after completing their sentences.

Three members of the group — Urlateanu, Dobre and Bugonea — fled the country but were traced and extradited to Scotland from Belgium and the Czech Republic for their trial in December last year.

Jurors in the six-week trial heard harrowing testimony about how the gang preyed on women, most of whom were already struggling with personal issues.

Cumpanasoiu was found guilty of ten charges of rape, while Urlateanu was convicted of six rapes.

Cumpanasoiu was also convicted under the Human Trafficking Act for forcing a woman into prostitution and of two charges of brothel-keeping.

Stan was found guilty of four rapes, and Dobre of two.

Bugonea was convicted of one rape and illegal sexual activity with another woman.

Police Scotland uncovered the gang’s activities during an operation focusing on the trafficking of women from Eastern Europe to Dundee to work as prostitutes.

Officers discovered that vulnerable local women were also being groomed with gifts and drugs, including crack cocaine.

Some gang members worked in legitimate jobs as food delivery drivers but were simultaneously grooming a succession of young local women.

The victims were forced to have sex with the gang and encouraged to recruit friends to visit the flats with the promise of drugs.

Victims were plied with whisky and crack cocaine and made to take part in “sex games”.

The gang was led by Cumpanasoiu, who was described as a “winking, smirking pimp” with a “predatory nature” towards women.

Following sentencing, the Crown Office released mobile phone footage of Cumpanasoiu in his car singing along to the 50 Cent song P.I.M.P.

One victim was forced into prostitution after Cumpanasoiu and Stan set up an online profile for her and drove her to meet men for sex.

She was told she could make “lots of money” from selling her body but was later berated by Cumpanasoiu for not earning enough.

A video found on his phone showed the woman climbing a tree. Cumpanasoiu was said to have threatened her, saying, “Because you do not make money, you stay all day in the tree.”

He and Stan also raped the woman.

Cumpanasoiu was described by one victim as “absolutely relentless”, while another said she felt “disgusted” by him.

He claimed he only gave one of the young women crack cocaine “to be polite”.

Bugonea, who was a prostitute in Dundee, admitted holding “sex parties” at her flat and described them as having a “fun atmosphere”.

One victim, however, described seeing Bugonea semi-naked and joining her then-boyfriend, Urlateanu, in raping her.

When questioned about sexually assaulting victims, Bugonea said: “I am a woman — why would I have a plan to rape her?”

She denied that women visited her flat solely because of their drug issues, claiming she believed they were “friends”.

There was also testimony about how Urlateanu, Stan and Dobre raped another woman.

Lord Scott said Cumpanasoiu had “lied, denied and deflected” and shown “no meaningful insight or remorse”.

The court heard that he was key to identifying, targeting and recruiting women for sexual exploitation and supplied them with crack cocaine.

The judge said Cumpanasoiu posed a “high threat of harm to women”.

His 24-year sentence will be split between a 20-year custodial term and a four-year extension.

Urlateanu’s sentence was divided between an 18-year custodial term and a two-year extension. He had to be extradited back to Scotland to face trial and was described as having a leading role in the group.

Bugonea wept in the dock after being jailed for eight years.

The jury heard she had experienced a difficult childhood and may have been exploited herself. However, the court found that her involvement, whether deliberate or not, may have helped lure victims and reassure them they would be safe.

Non-harassment orders were granted, prohibiting all five offenders from contacting their victims indefinitely.

All have been placed on the sex offenders register.

Stan was also issued a five-year trafficking exploitation order