Courts / Cork / Report

"Maybe I was wrong in a way": Romanian man sexually assaulted woman in laneway

Date
2020-01-20

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Cork City

County
Cork

Summary

In January 2020, a court case in Cork involved Las Vegas Balan, a 25‑year‑old Romanian national who had been sleeping rough on the streets. He was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a laneway in May 2018. The victim, who was extremely drunk and walking barefoot around the city, was found by Gardaí in an incoherent state after Balan pushed her against a wall, groped her, and pulled her behind a van. CCTV footage showed the woman struggling to remain upright and later moving voluntarily behind the van. Balan admitted the victim was very intoxicated but claimed the encounter was consensual. He pleaded guilty, and Mr Justice Micheal White imposed a five‑year prison term, backdated to May 2018, noting the victim was "absolutely incapable" of giving consent and that Balan had taken advantage of her situation. The judge also considered the victim's prior mental health difficulties and the impact of the offence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Maybe I was wrong in a way": Romanian man sexually assaulted woman in laneway. Charges or matters: sexual assault at a place in Cork on a date in May 2018. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When: