Violent sex offender jailed

A man has been jailed for a seriesof violent and sexual offences against a woman and child following a Met Policeinvestigation built on victim trust.

On Wednesday, 4 February, a jury at Inner LondonCrown Court found 32-year-old Sergiu Chiriac guilty of 12 counts of rape,actual bodily harm (ABH), coercive and controlling behaviour and child cruelty.

At the same court today, Friday, 2 October, he wassentenced to 20 years imprisonment, to serve fours years on licence.

The charges relate to a series of incidents thattook place between 2021 and 2025 against a woman in her 20s and hertwo-year-old child. Both have received dedicated support from specially trainedofficers, and it was only after carefully building the victim’s trust thatofficers were able to uncover and investigate the full extent of the horrificabuse they had suffered.

Detective Constable Izzy Glanvill,who led the Met’s investigation, said:

“Chiriac is a dangerous and predatory individual whowas responsible for a sustained pattern of violence, coercion and sexual abuse.All his actions were utterly reprehensible but targeting a defenseless childhighlights the true extent of his brutality.

“I want to commend the victim-survivor in this casefor showing extraordinary courage in coming forward and supporting thisinvestigation. While nothing will undo the harm she and her child havesuffered, today’s sentencing will hopefully bring them a small measure ofcomfort knowing that Chiriac has been held to account.

“We remain absolutely committed to tackling violenceagainst women and girls and bringing perpetrators to justice. If you areexperiencing abuse or if you think someone you know is experiencing abuse,please speak to us. You will be heard and you will be supported.”

The survivor of Chiriac’s abuseshared the following:

“For those going through similar abuse, I would wantfor them to know how amazing it is on the other side. I know how it seems moredangerous to leave the abuser and that you and your children are better offwith them, but it's not true. Since leaving, my child and I have been able toheal, have gotten so much unexpected support with everything and are feelinggenuinely peaceful and happy now. I was pleasantly shocked at how much supportI got in this situation.

“This is a lot of thanks to the police, justicesystem, NHS and all the other support that is provided for survivors ofdomestic violence- they helped to change our lives in the best way.”

The investigation

An investigation into Chiriac’s offending waslaunched on 31 March 2025 when a relative of the victim alerted Met officersthat she had turned up to their home with extensive injuries, including severeswelling to her head, black eyes and multiple bruises.

The relative expressed concern for the woman andchild’s safety.

Officers were urgently deployed to find Chiriac.Upon arrival at his property, they found clear signs of disorder, includingvisible blood staining in one of the rooms.

It was later uncovered that just the day before,Chiriac had attacked the victim and her child without warning. He behavedaggressively, shouted abuse, prevented the victim from leaving the property andthreatened her with a knife.

Chiriac was arrested and charged with offencesincluding ABH, criminal damage and child assault before being remanded incustody.

In the weeks after the assault, the victim came todetectives with concerns about further incidents but felt unable to discussthem fully. They reassured her that she could disclose these in her own timeand that support would be there whenever she was ready.

As the investigation progressed, she engaged withspecialist services and began to rebuild her confidence and sense of safety. Intime, she felt able to share a fuller account, enabling detectives to uncoverthe true extent of Chiriac’s offending - including multiple rapes - and ensureit was brought before the court.

On 11 September 2025 Chiriac was subsequentlycharged with multiple counts of rape, coercive and controlling behaviour, childcruelty and witness intimidation.

The Met continues to prioritise the safety of womenand girls and is relentlessly targeting offenders to secure justice for victimsof sexual violence.

As part of our victim-centered approach, we haverolled out new, bespoke training to 23,000 officers and staff. This training isstrengthening officer skills to better investigate offences and provide moremeaningful support to victims. It has seen stronger outcomes for victims andsurvivors, with the Met tripling charges for rape and serious sexual offences.More victim-survivors are also bravely reporting offences to police.

For confidential help, the 24/7 Rape & SexualAbuse Support Line offers free phone and online chat for anyone aged 16+ inEngland and Wales. Call 0808 500 2222 or visit 247sexualabusesupport.org.uk.

Note to editors:

Sergiu Chiriac, 32 (30.03.87), a Romanian nationalof Wray House, Streatham Hill, was found guilty of the following offences:

• Three counts of rape
• Three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm
• One count of coercive and controlling behavior
• One count of strangulation
• One count of child cruelty
• One count of witness intimidation
• One count of assault on a child
• One count of criminal damage