A MAN has been jailed for 14 years for raping a woman in St Helens. 

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Gheorghe Tirzuman, of Quebec Quay, Liverpool was also handed an indefinite restraining order and made to sign the sex offenders register on Tuesday, January 17, at Liverpool Crown Court for three counts of rape. 

The victim reported to police that in August 2021 Tirzuman raped her on three separate occasions at a house in St Helens.

Following a trial, Tirzuman, 39, was convicted and sentenced to 14 years after being found guilty of three counts of rape of a woman over 16.

Police commend 'bravery' of victim

Detective Inspector Laura Lamping said: “Thanks to the bravery of Tirzuman’s victim he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

“Tirzuman subjected his victim to great physical and emotional abuse and I would like to take this opportunity to praise her in coming forward and the fear they have overcome to bring him to justice.

“While no sentence will repair the damage that Tirzuman has caused, I hope that by seeing him sent to prison for such a considerable period of time will give his victim some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he can no longer harm her or anyone else.

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence or is concerned for the safety of someone they know should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

“As shown in this case time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them.”

St Helens Star: Liverpool Crown CourtLiverpool Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

How to report sexual offences

  • Anyone with information or wants to report sexual offence allegation is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve.
  •  You can report rape sexual assault and other sexual offences anonymously here: Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Merseyside Police 
  • There is a lot of support available from specialist officers within Merseyside Police and through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.
  •  In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.