Dundee grooming gang jailed for raping 10 women
A grooming gang who raped and abused 10 women in Dundee brothels and forced many of them into prostitution has been jailed.
The gang, which the court heard was led by a “grinning, winking pimp”, consisted of four men and a woman who took advantage of vulnerable women aged between 16 and 30 by supplying them with crack cocaine and alcohol and telling them they could get rich through prostitution.
Mircea Marian Cumpanasoiu, Cristian Urlateanu, Remus Stan, Catalin Dobre and Alexandra Bugonea were found guilty on 9 January 2025 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
In the sentence handed down in the same court on Monday, Cumpanasoiu was given an extended prison sentence of 24 years, including 20 years in prison.
Urlateanu was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a two-year extension. Stan was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Dobre to 10 years, and Bugonea to 8 years.
All five men from Romania were added to the sex offenders’ register.
The group’s ringleader, Cumpanasoiu, also known as “Mario”, was found guilty of 15 charges, including running a brothel.
The 38-year-old man supplied drugs and raped numerous women and was also involved in sexual coercion.
The court heard how Cumpanasoiu lured a vulnerable woman into prostitution by convincing her that he would earn large amounts of money. He then advertised his services online, directing him to meet clients before taking a portion of his earnings.
He was described in court as a “grinning, winking pimp” who financed his lifestyle and drug habit with prostitution.
Three of the group fled the country but were caught by police in Belgium and the Czech Republic and brought back to Scotland for their trial in December last year.
Cristian Urlateanu, 41, was found guilty of nine charges, including rape, assault, profiting from prostitution and supplying cocaine. At the time of the crimes, he lived with his partner and co-defendant Alexandra Bugonea, who worked as a sex worker.
The court was told Urlateanu used the money provided by Bugonea to support his crack cocaine addiction and cover household expenses. One of the victims testified that he was taken to a flat in Bright Street, Dundee, where he was confronted with what he described as “unlimited amounts” of crack cocaine and whiskey.
The court heard participants were pressured to take off their clothes and games such as spin the bottle and truth or dare were played while Urlateanu asked suggestive questions. He then forcibly raped one of the women in her bedroom.
Urlateanu and Bugonea were also found guilty of jointly raping the same woman several times at the Bright Street flat.
Stan, 35, was found guilty of eight charges, including trafficking in women, along with his accomplice Cumpanasoiu.
The court heard the man regularly supplied the victim with drugs and decided how much she should charge customers, all while making her believe he was her boyfriend.
He was also found guilty of raping the woman multiple times, including an incident where he and Cumpanasoiu assaulted her. Stan was also convicted of raping two other women.
Dobre, 45, also known as “Luigi”, was convicted along with co-defendants Urlateanu and Stan on five charges, including the gang rape of a woman. He was also found guilty of attempted rape, sexual coercion and sexual assault, the Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service said.
Bugonea, 34, was found guilty of five charges, including supplying drugs to several women, sexual coercion, rape and sexual assault by penetration.
Police Scotland Detective Chief Inspector Scott Carswell said: “I would like to thank our many partners for their help and valuable support to all the victims identified throughout this challenging investigation.
“Police Scotland will continue to target criminals who abuse, control and exploit people, work with national and international partners to bring criminals to justice, and raise public awareness to help identify victims and ensure they receive the support they need.
“Victims are often vulnerable, may be stuck with limited freedoms or options, and may sometimes not realize they are actually victims. They rarely come into direct contact with the police and are often brought to our attention either through a support agency or when someone in the local community calls and raises a concern.”
He added: “This call could be the first step in saving someone from slavery and exploitation. If you have concerns or any information that someone is a potential victim, please report it to the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 so we can investigate and take action.”
Rape Crisis offers support to those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them in England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, in Scotland on 0808 801 0302 and in Northern Ireland on 0800 0246 991 or visit their website at: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you’re in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
