Aurel Birlan has been jailed for life after raping an unconscious woman in a public street in Chatham, Kent, in an attack that was only stopped when a passer-by intervened and alerted the authorities, leading to his arrest. The case underscored both the severity of the prolonged assault and the crucial role played by a member of the public in bringing it to an end.

The 44-year-old subjected the woman to repeated sexual assaults over almost two hours in December 2021, with CCTV footage showing she remained unconscious for more than an hour throughout the ordeal. Birlan admitted two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, and has been ordered to serve a minimum of eight years and three months in prison before he can be considered for parole; he has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life.