A man who raped a 14-year-old girl after offering her a lift home at an Aberdeen taxi rank has been jailed for 12 years.
Victor Popa, 35, lured the drunk teenager into his vehicle during the early hours of 15 January 2023 and subjected her to the serious sexual assault in the Gordon’s Mills Place area of the city while she repeatedly “blanked out”.
A judge told a court how the girl has since been “living a waking nightmare” and later dropped out of school due to being bullied about the rape, “mainly by the boys”.
Popa denied any wrongdoing but was convicted in January following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. He was jailed on Wednesday.
Judge Alison Stirling said his actions had caused “lasting psychological and physical harm”, with the girl continuing to suffer “complex PTSD, anxiety and depression”.
‘She has been living a waking nightmare’
Referencing a victim impact statement, the judge said: “The emotional impact of the rape was overwhelming, and she thinks it will be everlasting.
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“She has been living a waking nightmare over and over and over again since she was 14 years old.
“Having to tell her mother was awful, because she knew her mother would be very upset.
“Telling the police and going for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy tests made her feel dirty and humiliated.
“It was terrifying for her at the age of 14 to think she could be pregnant to a rapist. Fortunately, she was not pregnant.
“She returned to school but left after six months because she was bullied about the rape, mainly by the boys.”
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‘She got into your car and blanked out’
The court heard how the teen, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, had been out drinking with friends but became separated from them so went to a taxi rank for a lift home.
Popa, who was a stranger to the girl and not a taxi driver, pulled up and offered to take her home.
Judge Stirling said: “She waited for a long time but there were no taxis. Your car appeared and she thought you were a taxi.
“She told you she was 14 years old, that she was really drunk and that she did not have any money.
“You agreed to take her home. She got into your car and blanked out.”
The judge said the girl repeatedly “blanked out” during the attack and was “so drunk she could not move and could not do anything”.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the prosecution case drew together “multiple strands of evidence”, including CCTV and text messages, which supported the teen’s account of what happened.
Medical evidence of an injury caused by significant force, likely inflicted while she was unconscious, was also placed before the jury.
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Popa denied any wrongdoing and claimed the girl told him she was 18 and that the sex was consensual.
The court heard that he had attended school in Romania but started to live in the UK in 2015. He moved to Aberdeen in 2018 and has worked in hotels and as a delivery driver and roofer.
As well as the 12-year jail term, Popa’s name was also added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.
He was additionally banned from contacting his victim.
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‘Popa is a dangerous individual’
Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook said: “Violence against women and girls has no place in our society.
“This was a predatory and deeply distressing attack on a child who was simply trying to get home safely.
“The evidence presented to the jury showed the careful work of police officers and prosecutors to uncover what happened and to hold Victor Popa to account.
“I want to recognise the courage shown by the young victim and her family throughout the prosecution process. Their strength has helped bring a dangerous offender to justice.”
Detective Chief Inspector Steven McDonald also praised the girl for her courage and thanked her family for their support throughout the Police Scotland investigation.
He added: “This incident was extremely frightening for the girl, who simply wanted to get home.
“Popa is a dangerous individual who posed a risk to women and girls and preyed on this young girl’s vulnerability.”
