FERDINANDO ORLANDO AND LORENZO COSTANZO SENTENCED FOR RAPE AT SOHO NIGHTCLUB IN LONDON
In a case that has shocked the London nightlife scene, two Italian nationals, Ferdinando Orlando, aged 25, and Lorenzo Costanzo, aged 26, were found guilty of committing a brutal sexual assault at a popular Soho nightclub.The conviction was handed down on Tuesday, 15 October, after a lengthy investigation that culminated in their sentencing on Friday, 22 November at Isleworth Crown Court.
Detective Sergeant Rebecca Woodsford, the lead investigator overseeing the case since 2017, expressed her relief at the conclusion of a process that spanned over two years.
She emphasized the distress caused to the victim, who endured a traumatic ordeal that has left her with significant psychological scars.
Sergeant Woodsford stated, “Today’s result concludes an investigation which has taken over two years and has been very distressing for the victim.
Both men put the victim through a traumatic ordeal.
She has been left with severe psychological injuries, and was injured that night.
This caused her and police to suspect she had been a victim of an assault.
Until the defence put their case to her in court, she was not aware of the full extent of what had happened in the maintenance room.” The victim, in her impact statement, conveyed her feelings of violation and resilience.
She made it clear that she did not consent to any sexual activity with either of the accused that night or at any other time.
Despite the trauma, she reflected on her strength, saying, “I try to focus on the one small positive thing that I discovered out of all of this and that is how strong I have become as a person.
I have had numerous people tell me how strong and brave I am for going through this but it wasn’t until I reflected and sat down with all my thoughts that I have truly realised that they are right.
There have been huge challenges over the past two years for me and I constantly relive the small snippets I can remember from that night.
It has greatly impacted my life in ways I never thought it would.” She expressed gratitude for the support from the Metropolitan Police and the prosecution team, and called for more victims of such violent crimes to come forward.
Her words underscored her hope that, one day, she would no longer see herself solely as a victim but as a survivor who endured and overcame.
The incident occurred on the night of 25 February 2017, at The Toy Rooms nightclub located on Argyll Street in Soho.
The victim, who was 23 years old at the time, arrived at the venue around 23:27 hours with friends.
Just over half an hour later, the two suspects, who were known to each other but not to the victim, entered the club.
CCTV footage revealed that there was no prior interaction between the victim and the suspects until shortly before 2:00 a.m., when they began dancing with her and eventually shared a kiss.
The footage also showed that the victim appeared visibly intoxicated and unsteady on her feet.
Following this, the suspects positioned themselves on either side of her, guiding her into a maintenance room within the nightclub.
It was in this room that the assault took place.
The CCTV footage captured Orlando and Costanzo watching the attack on a mobile phone, re-enacting the assault with lewd gestures, and later high-fiving each other as they exited the room.
The victim was then led to the female toilets, where she was found over an hour later by staff members.
A French couple, witnessing her distress, helped her home.
Her housemate later found her in severe pain, prompting calls to the London Ambulance Service and police.
Investigators quickly gathered CCTV evidence from the nightclub, which clearly showed Orlando and Costanzo holding the victim and leading her into the maintenance room.
The footage also depicted them removing a carabiner lock from the door before taking her inside.
The police investigation revealed that shortly after the assault, Costanzo left the UK for Italy, and Orlando departed about a week later.
On 15 March 2018, Costanzo returned to London to watch a football match and was promptly arrested at Heathrow Airport.
He was taken into custody, interviewed, and charged the following day.
Orlando was also arrested after he voluntarily returned to the UK for questioning.
During their police interviews, both men denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the sexual encounters were consensual.
However, the CCTV footage and other evidence painted a different picture, leading to their conviction for two counts of rape.
The court sentenced Orlando and Costanzo to seven and a half years in prison each, reflecting the severity of their crimes and the impact on the victim.
Their actions have been condemned by the authorities, and this case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accountability and justice in cases of sexual violence in London.
