See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:21 BST, 7 June 2026 | Updated: 00:12 BST, 8 June 2026
A man has been charged in connection with the rape of two teenage girls on a beach last month.Madalin Ilinca, a 34-year-old Romanian national, was stopped at the port of Dover while re-entering the UK on suspicion of attacking the girls on Great Yarmouth Beach in the early hours of May 16.Ilinca, of Stafford Road, Great Yarmouth, is charged with one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault, Norfolk Constabulary said.He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning and has since been remanded into custody. He is due to appear at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Monday.The force said another man in his 30s, who was arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with the same incident in Northamptonshire on May 17, remains on bail until August 10 while inquiries continue.In an earlier statement, police said officers were searching for a second suspect they believed was outside of the country and were working to locate him.He was described as a white man with short dark hair and dark facial hair in his 30s or 40s. Norfolk Police was called to South Beach Parade, Great Yarmouth, on May 16 following reports that two girls had been rapedPolice were called at 12:37am on the Saturday last month to reports that two girls had been raped on sand dunes beside South Beach Parade in Great Yarmouth, behind a Premier Inn.They cordoned off a 100-yard-wide stretch of dunes after the incident between the beach and the rear of the budget hotel - which has 81 bedrooms.The scene is close to the Pleasure Beach amusement park and overlooked by the Wellington Pier.There is a cluster of tents used by homeless people just yards from where the girls were attacked.Semi-retired window fitter Andrew Bird, 62, who on May 16 had been living in a tent on the dunes for the ten days since losing his accommodation, said he woke up on Saturday morning to see the area cordoned off.He said: 'I saw the tape and thought, "What the hell has been going on?" The officer would not tell me because of the ongoing investigation, and I left it at that.'I don't think anybody round here seems to have heard or seen anything. When I went into town, someone said there had been a stabbing.'Now I have found out that two girls were raped. It is just disgusting. The police should be getting all the help they need.'This is actually a quiet area because it is out of the town centre, so people come here in tents to avoid problems with their stuff being stolen.'Taxi driver Jamie Zmich, 33, said: 'I was driving to work at around 4.10am on Saturday morning when I saw four or five police cars.'There were some parked in the Premier Inn car park and others in the side road leading to the beach. I wondered what had happened.'I was very sad to hear about the girls being raped. This town is not safe any more. Being a taxi driver, I see it all.'Chief Inspector Nick Paling, district commander for Great Yarmouth, said at the time: 'We recognise how shocking and distressing these incidents are for the victims, their families, and the wider community.'Specialist officers have been deployed to support both girls as we work through this investigation.'There will be an increased police presence in the area, with officers carrying out reassurance patrols. Please do approach them if you have any concerns or information.'
