May 2023

Sixteen years in jail for man who raped young girl

A young rape victim has said she is looking forward to being able to lead a normal life again after her perpetrator was sentenced to spend the next 16 years behind bars.

Eugen Andrei, 36, of Luton was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the young girl numerous times over the course of a year, before she found the courage to disclose it to police in May 2022.

He was arrested a few days later and an investigation was launched by Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team.

Following a five-day trial at Huntington Crown Court earlier this year, Andrei was found guilty of four counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

He was sentenced last Friday (5 May) to 16 years in prison and an additional four years on licence.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the victim said: “Knowing that he can’t get to me now makes me feel safe, and I feel so much more free than I used to.

“I can go back to leading a normal life and going out to places with my friends and family.”