Man jailed for 'preying on lone female and showing no remorse for attack'

A man has today been jailed after he was found guilty of a vicious sexual attack against a lone female in Exeter in the early hours of Saturday 18 June 2022.

Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu, 47, who was residing in Exeter at the time of the attack but is originally from Romania, denied the offence but an overwhelming amount of DNA, phone and CCTV evidence meant that a jury found him guilty after a short deliberation following his trial in May.

Vasioiu has today been sentenced at Exeter Crown Court to 18 years in prison, with a further 5 years on licence.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Wenham, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “I welcome today’s sentence after Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu was found guilty of rape during a trial in May.

“He preyed on a lone female who he had never met and subjected her to a vicious attack without remorse.

“He then returned to where he was staying and proceeded to bag up his clothes which he gave to an unwitting friend to wash, before shaving off his long hair in an attempt to change his appearance and destroy evidence linking him to the attack.

“This was a calculated and planned act in which Vasioiu has shown absolutely no remorse throughout.”

CCTV shown in court captures Vasioiu in Exeter High Street prior to the attack trying to identify possible targets. Footage also clearly showed Vasioiu following his victim, who is a local woman in her 30s, through the Iron Bridge area of Exeter.

Vasioiu then breaks into a jog to catch up with her as she disappeared from his line of sight; he then attacked and raped her in St Bartholomew's Cemetery near Exe Street.

Following a major policing response and public appeal, police arrested Vasioiu on Tuesday 21 June 2022; three days after the attack.

DS Wenham continued: “The response from the public to our appeals was vital in us securing the CCTV footage that was key in us being able to identify and arrest Vasioiu.

“The investigative team went above and beyond to gain the evidence needed to prove beyond any doubt that Vasioiu was the attacker.

“This included numerous international enquiries which led to the team discovering that Vasioiu had a prior conviction in Switzerland that matched up with the attack that took place in Exeter; both in how they were carried out and Vasioiu’s actions post-attack.

“This allowed us to take the rare step of being able to share Vasioiu’s previous bad character and offending history with the jury during the trial, which was vital in securing the conviction.”

It is expected that Vasioiu will serve his sentence in the UK, before being deported back to Romania.

DS Wenham added: “My team and I want to take a moment to recognise the victim in this case. She has been through an horrific ordeal that no person should be subjected to and showed great courage and strength throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.

“She put her faith in us, and I hope today’s result will help her to move on and contribute to her recovery from this ordeal.”

Superintendent Antony Hart, policing commander for Exeter, said: “No one should feel unsafe on our streets, and each and every one of us has the right to be able to walk home without the fear of attack.

“Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact this incident has had on the victim. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring attackers to justice and to prevent further similar offences occurring, both through proactive policing and by working with a range of partner agencies in the city”.

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