ROMELIA RADU AND PETRE NICULESCU SHOCK PADDINGTON WITH CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IN UK
| Red Rose Database
Paddington Sexual Abuser
In a landmark case that marks the first prosecution under the 2015 Modern Slavery Act involving child sex trafficking, a Romanian couple has been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their heinous crimes committed in the United Kingdom. Romelia Florentina Radu, aged 32, and Petre Niculescu, aged 39, were both handed 14-year prison sentences after admitting their involvement in trafficking a 14-year-old girl along with eight other women into prostitution.
Their criminal enterprise was dismantled following an extensive eight-month joint operation conducted by the Metropolitan Police in London and authorities in Romania. The investigation uncovered a disturbing network that preyed on vulnerable women, many of whom came from impoverished backgrounds, lured by false promises of employment and a better life.
During the trial at Kingston Crown Court in Surrey, the prosecution, led by Caroline Haughey, detailed how the defendants exploited their victims for financial gain. The women, some of whom were recruited through friends and family, were deceived into believing they would find work in shops or restaurants. Instead, they were subjected to sexual exploitation and forced into street prostitution.
Haughey emphasized that the defendants had benefited criminally from the sexual abuse of multiple women, manipulating and deceiving them into their control. She highlighted the particularly tragic case of their youngest victim, a girl from a poor family with nine siblings, whom they lured in 2016 with promises of a waitress job. Upon her arrival in the UK, she was coerced into dressing provocatively and made to wear heavy makeup because she was considered to have a childlike appearance.
The girl was forced to engage in daily sexual acts with men for four months, enduring physical and emotional trauma. In her victim impact statement, she described her ordeal: “I was forced to have sex continuously. Many times it was painful and I was disgusted.” She recounted living in constant fear, being threatened with violence, and told not to reveal her true age or name. She was terrified that her captors would harm her family or set her home on fire if she disobeyed.
The Metropolitan Police became aware of the operation after a 41-year-old woman, one of the victims, approached officers at a police station in North London. She revealed that she had been recruited by George Maracineanu, aged 47, who had promised her they would earn money together to buy a house in Romania. Maracineanu was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for his role in the trafficking scheme.
The court heard that the victims were often told they would share earnings from prostitution, but upon arriving in the UK, they found themselves in debt. They were made to pay for their travel, their assigned street “patch,” and rent in flats located in Paddington. Despite earning between £250 and £300 per night, many women were paid as little as £20 to £30 daily, with the rest taken by their traffickers.
Victims recounted physical abuse, including severe beatings. One woman described how Niculescu had beaten her badly, punching her and hitting her with a vacuum cleaner pole, leaving her with scars. Another victim detailed being assaulted by a client under the influence of drugs, who beat her for an hour during and after sex, slapping her all over her body and praying for her survival.
The case underscores the brutal reality faced by victims of trafficking and the relentless efforts of law enforcement to dismantle such criminal networks. The sentences handed down to Radu and Niculescu serve as a stark reminder of the serious consequences for those involved in human trafficking and exploitation in the UK.
Their criminal enterprise was dismantled following an extensive eight-month joint operation conducted by the Metropolitan Police in London and authorities in Romania. The investigation uncovered a disturbing network that preyed on vulnerable women, many of whom came from impoverished backgrounds, lured by false promises of employment and a better life.
During the trial at Kingston Crown Court in Surrey, the prosecution, led by Caroline Haughey, detailed how the defendants exploited their victims for financial gain. The women, some of whom were recruited through friends and family, were deceived into believing they would find work in shops or restaurants. Instead, they were subjected to sexual exploitation and forced into street prostitution.
Haughey emphasized that the defendants had benefited criminally from the sexual abuse of multiple women, manipulating and deceiving them into their control. She highlighted the particularly tragic case of their youngest victim, a girl from a poor family with nine siblings, whom they lured in 2016 with promises of a waitress job. Upon her arrival in the UK, she was coerced into dressing provocatively and made to wear heavy makeup because she was considered to have a childlike appearance.
The girl was forced to engage in daily sexual acts with men for four months, enduring physical and emotional trauma. In her victim impact statement, she described her ordeal: “I was forced to have sex continuously. Many times it was painful and I was disgusted.” She recounted living in constant fear, being threatened with violence, and told not to reveal her true age or name. She was terrified that her captors would harm her family or set her home on fire if she disobeyed.
The Metropolitan Police became aware of the operation after a 41-year-old woman, one of the victims, approached officers at a police station in North London. She revealed that she had been recruited by George Maracineanu, aged 47, who had promised her they would earn money together to buy a house in Romania. Maracineanu was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for his role in the trafficking scheme.
The court heard that the victims were often told they would share earnings from prostitution, but upon arriving in the UK, they found themselves in debt. They were made to pay for their travel, their assigned street “patch,” and rent in flats located in Paddington. Despite earning between £250 and £300 per night, many women were paid as little as £20 to £30 daily, with the rest taken by their traffickers.
Victims recounted physical abuse, including severe beatings. One woman described how Niculescu had beaten her badly, punching her and hitting her with a vacuum cleaner pole, leaving her with scars. Another victim detailed being assaulted by a client under the influence of drugs, who beat her for an hour during and after sex, slapping her all over her body and praying for her survival.
The case underscores the brutal reality faced by victims of trafficking and the relentless efforts of law enforcement to dismantle such criminal networks. The sentences handed down to Radu and Niculescu serve as a stark reminder of the serious consequences for those involved in human trafficking and exploitation in the UK.