'He has taken so much away from me': Victims of Gateshead grooming gang speak out in court

Northumbria Police launched an inquiry into offending against six victims between 2014 and 2019, centred on the Saltwell Park area of Tyneside.

Officers uncovered exploitation of girls aged between 13 and 16, leading to multiple rape charges being brought.

The investigation highlighted that the victims were targeted by teenagers a few years older than them, with the girls sometimes thinking they were in a relationship, before older men exploited them.

An eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court ended in October with convictions for four Romanians and an Albanian who lived in the Bensham area at the time.

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They were:

• Klaudio Aleksiu, 28, of Church Terrace, Windsor, who was found guilty of rape.
• Stefan Ciuraru, 22, of Brinkburn Avenue, Gateshead, who was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
• Codrin Dura, 27, of Ripon Street, Gateshead, who was found guilty of four counts of rape, four counts of sexual activity with a child, blackmail, attempted rape, serious sexual assault, supplying a class A drug, and arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence.
• Bogdan Gugiuman, 44, of Westbourne Avenue, Gateshead, who was found guilty of three counts of rape, and supplying a class A drug.
• Leonard Paun, 23, of Windsor Avenue, Gateshead, who was found guilty of five counts of rape, two counts of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, sexual activity with a child, sexual assault, supplying a class A drug, and distributing photos of a child.

One victim, aged between 13 and 15 when she was exploited, and now in her 20s, told the court how it had impacted her life.

Speaking from the jury box, she said Dura had controlled her.

“It was like he had a spell on me,” she said. “It was like I was held hostage and had to play a role.”

She added: “I feel like he has taken so much away from me, I always try to bury it.”

Dura raped her after luring her to his home on the pretext he would delete an intimate photo he had been threatening to show to her parents.

A second victim read her statement to the court saying: “I was naive and impressionable and it made it easy for me to be preyed upon.”

Anne Richardson, prosecuting, read the statement of a third victim, who became addicted to cocaine as a teenager.

She said: “This whole experience has massively changed my view of men for life. I am petrified of all men.

“There are so many things that trigger my pain, I don’t know if I will ever lead a normal life.”

Miss Richardson said it was clear that this victim had suffered “significant psychological harm”.

The court heard mitigation for four of the defendants.

Josh Normanton, for Dura, said he came to the UK as a boy with his family who were economic migrants from Romania, and he was unable to speak English when he arrived.

“He was someone who was more immature than his age,” his barrister said.

“He comes from a family who are hard-working, polite and extremely concerned for him.”

Glenn Gatland, for Paun, said his client came to the UK with just his mother, and his father died after joining them later.

He has since become a caring father, Mr Gatland said.

“He is someone quite capable of rehabilitation,” he said.

Sue Hirst, for Gugiuman, who is Paun’s cousin, said he was of previous good character and is married with three teenage boys.

Shada Mellor, for Aleksiu, who is Albanian, said the delay in bringing the case to trial had impacted his mental health.

He has since moved to the south of England and has a partner and a child, she said.

Mitigation for Ciuraru was given at a previous hearing.

Judge Tim Gittins said he will pass sentence on Friday afternoon.