Bournemouth Beach: Man given custodial sentence for raping teen in sea

Gabriel Marinoaica was arrested 11 months after the incident

A man who raped a 15-year-old girl after taking her out of her depth in the sea has been handed a six-and-a-half year custodial sentence.

Gabriel Marinoaica, 20, of Darlaston, West Midlands, attacked the teenager off Bournemouth beach in July 2021.

He was previously found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults.

Judge Susan Evans KC told Bournemouth Crown Court: "It was a brazen attack in broad daylight with many people around."

During the trial, prosecutors said the victim had been in the sea with her friends on Sunday 18 July and began playing with a ball with another group in the water.

After her two friends had gone back to the beach, she went to fetch the ball which had been picked up by Marinoaica.

Image source, Getty Images

The attack happened in the sea off Bournemouth beach on a busy summer's day

The defendant put his hand over the mouth of the victim, who could not swim, and raped her until someone approached, the court heard.

He was arrested 11 months later and his DNA was found to match samples found on the victim's swimwear, the jury was told.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the complainant said that she continued to suffer panic attacks and nightmares.

She said: "I have tried to put it behind me but it is never not with me. It will never not be part of my life experiences, my childhood.

"I feel so unsafe in the water now, going into the water makes me feel sick."

As well as sending Marinoaica to a young offender institution, Judge Evans imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 20 years and ordered him to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

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