Victim’s courage helps bring sex attacker to justice
The bravery of a victim of a sexual attack in Bournemouth has helped investigators in their relentless efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
The woman aged in her 20s was walking in the Lansdowne area after a night out in the early hours of Sunday 29 January 2023 when Alexandru Emilian Muresan, aged 32 and of Bournemouth, approached her in his car.
The defendant offered to give her a lift home before parking outside her address and sexually assaulting her in the vehicle.
The incident was reported to police and detectives from Bournemouth CID led an extensive investigation to identify the vehicle involved and, as a result, Muresan – a Romanian national who gave his self-defined ethnicity as white British – was arrested.
The victim attended The Shores Sexual Assault Referral Centre and also received support from an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor from the STARS Dorset charity, as well as a dedicated police sexual offences liaison officer (SOLO).
Further detailed enquiries were conducted to compile evidence against the defendant and he was subsequently charged with attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration.
He continued to deny the offences but after a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, during which the victim’s evidence proved crucial, a jury found Muresan guilty of both charges.
He returned to court on Wednesday 26 November 2025 and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Detective Constable Hele Leech-Wilkinson, of Bournemouth CID, said: “The victim in this case has demonstrated exceptional strength throughout our investigation – from coming forward to report the matter to supporting our investigation and giving evidence for the trial.
“Thanks to the courage she has displayed, we were able to secure a conviction for this sexual offender and he now finds himself behind bars.
“I hope the example she has set helps other victims of sexual offences find the courage to come forward in the knowledge that they will be fully supported and we will carry out a meticulous investigation to bring offenders to justice.”
If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, and you want to report directly to the police, please call 101 and ask to be put in contact with a specially trained police officer. Always dial 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, you can contact The Shores Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0800 970 9954.
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