Crime
Two jailed for total of 20 years for Cambridge rape
A man and a 17-year-old were jailed after being forensically linked to the rape of a woman in Cambridge.
Florin Sardaru, 25, and the seventeen-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were in Cambridge city centre on 13 February this year.
The two drove from London and in the early hours of that morning, they saw their victim, a woman walking alone in Sidney Street, Cambridge.
They led her into a car and drove her to a secluded location outside of the city.
Here Sardaru and the 17-year-old raped the woman.
They then drove her back in to the city where she contacted police.
An investigation began and officers from the Rape Investigation Team (RIT) worked alongside other specialist units to identify the suspects.
CCTV showed the predatory movements of the suspects prior to the offence and the moment where she was taken to the car and driven away.
The car was traced to an address in London where it had been sold within hours of the offence. The vehicle was seized, and crucial evidence recovered.
The suspects were identified and arrested on 4 March. In interview they gave no account and initially plead not guilty.
However, forensic and CCTV evidence proved beyond doubt that they had raped the woman.
Sardaru, of Shrubland Road, London, and the 17-year-old changed their plea to guilty of rape on the first day of their trial at Cambridge Crown Court on 5 September.
On Friday (4 November) they were sentenced at the same court.
Sardaru received a prison sentence of 12 years and four months, while the 17-year-old was given a sentence of seven years and 11 months.
Florin Sardaru jailed for rape
Both have been placed on the Sex Offenders register, handed Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and indefinite restraining orders against the victim.
DI Helen Tebbit said: “I would like to commend the survivor of this horrific case for her courage and support during the police investigation.
“The level of offending in this case is amongst the most serious imaginable and the RIT were committed to quickly identifying and prosecuting those involved.
“The two defendants displayed significant predatory behaviour whilst within Cambridge City centre before locating the victim.
“The victim was vulnerable at the time of the offence and this vulnerability has been exploited by them.
“Perpetrators of serious sexual violence will not be tolerated, and I encourage victims of sexual violence to report incidents and concern to police here us.
“The case shows the value of forensic evidence and the effectiveness of our Sexual Assault Referral Centre.”
The force has been working hard to improve the way it respond to incidents involving violence against women and girls (VAWG), building long-term cultural change and restoring public confidence in the police
