Teen tourist who raped girl, 15, in Dorset sea in front of thousands jailed

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A teenage tourist who raped a 15-year-old girl in the sea in front of thousands of people after deliberately pulling her out of her depth has been jailed for six and a half years.

Gabriel Marinoaica grabbed hold of the teenager as she played a game of catch with friends in the sea next to Bournemouth Pier, Dorset. He dragged her out further out to sea so she could no longer touch the bottom before placing his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.

The attack only stopped when somebody approached them and the girl, who cannot swim, was able to make it back to shore, a jury heard. After the schoolgirl reported her attack, traces of semen were found on her bikini bottoms but they did not match any DNA in the police database. It was another 11 months before Marinoaica was identified through police inquiries and a public appeal and his DNA was taken. It matched the sample on the girl's bikini. He claimed that he thought the girl was aged either 17 or 18 and that they had consensual sex.

Ellie Fargin, prosecuting, told the trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, the 15-year-old girl's two friends had gone back to the beach, while she went to fetch the ball they were playing with after it had been kicked away. Marinoaica picked up the ball and refused to give it back, but did so when the complainant asked a second time.

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The defendant asked her name and her age before saying his name was Dabby and he was from Birmingham. Ms Fargin said: "It was at this point the defendant pulled at her arm and pulled her out to sea. "(She) could no longer touch the bottom, she really was in deep water. (She) told the defendant: 'No, get off me,' but he ignored her.

"He was touching her everywhere, she was uncomfortable and wanted to get out but the defendant pulled her out further."

She said the defendant then asked her if she wanted to "smash", meaning to have sex, which the complainant said she did not want to. Ms Fargin said that the defendant then groped the complainant and kissed her before he raped her for about a minute until someone approached.

She added that the complainant had said she could not scream because Marinoaica had his hand over her mouth. Ms Fargin said: "He took her out of her depth, he made her vulnerable, she couldn't even swim, he might not have known that but he might have known she could not touch the bottom. And why did he do that? So he could do what he wanted to do. She didn't consent, and we say he knew that - he simply didn't care."

After a trial a jury found Marinoaica, of Darlastan, Walsall, West Midlands, guilty of the three charges of sexual assault and the rape of the teenager. He was acquitted of a further charge of sexual assault by biting her neck. Following the trial Judge Susan Evans KC remanded the defendant in custody and told him: "You have been convicted by the jury of what are really serious offences. It was a brazen thing to have done in broad daylight on the beach."

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