Guilty Plea for Grove Road Brothel Women

Police swoop after complaints from neighbours

Three Romanian women pleaded guilty at Ealing Magistrates court recently for managing a brothel in Acton.

Acton Central Safer Neighbourhood team and the Metropolitan Police Service Clubs and Vice Unit succeeded in closing down the establishment, which was operating in Grove Road, after a series of coordinated raids on 15th and 17th April.

Raluca-Georgiana Rusu, 21, Georgiana-Alina Balan, 20, and Ionela-Elena Rusu, 29, of Grove Road, were charged on April 15th with managing a brothel and bailed to attend Ealing Magistrates court on 23rd April.

On 17th April Georgiana-Alina Balan was arrested for a second time following a further raid at the venue by officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team and Clubs and Vice. Balan was charged with managing a brothel and remanded in custody to appear at Ealing Magistrates Court on 18th April where both cases were dealt with. She was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £75 costs.

Raluca-Georgiana Rusu and Ionela-Elena Rusu were both fined £275 on 23rd April.

The property is managed and let by a letting agency, on behalf of a private landlord who has now been informed of the purpose for which the premises are being used. They have been asked to take immediate action to evict the tenants should be evicted who are in breach of their tenancy agreements.

If they were to allow the continued use of the property as a brothel the letting agency could be prosecuted, fined and or sent to prison under the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

PS Phil Norcutt, Acton Central Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "We received numerous complaints from residents surrounding this particular premises and I am very pleased with the success of the operation which we would not have achieved so effectively but for the partnership of CO14 clubs and Vice officers.

We will continue to work closely with the local community to ensure Acton Central remains a safe and pleasant environment for all.”

April 25, 2008