Horrifying video footage captures a sex offender roaming a city center, stalking his next victim before assaulting three women within an hour. Donatas Venclovas, 34, has been sentenced after DNA evidence linked him to a series of appalling crimes against women aged 25 to 74 during an early-morning rampage.
The conviction stemmed from DNA matching Venclovas to the crimes that occurred 14 years ago, thanks to a sample obtained when one victim bit him. The sexual predator struck in the early hours of January 8, 2011, trailing his victims through Leicester city center.
His first victim, a 25-year-old woman, was assaulted on Rutland Street around 7:40 am, where he grabbed her from behind, one hand around her neck and the other between her legs.
Minutes later, near St Nicholas Circle, he exposed himself and sexually assaulted another woman, then aged 74, by reaching under her skirt. He fled when interrupted by a passerby and proceeded to The Rally park for his third offense at 8:50 am.
A 57-year-old woman was pushed to the ground at the park after witnessing the suspect with his hands down his pants. He attempted to undress her for rape, but she bravely fought back, biting his hand and calling for help.
Residents nearby heard her cries, prompting Venclovas to flee. Although DNA samples were collected from the third victim, they did not match anyone in the national police database at the time.
In a breakthrough this year, Venclovas, from Ilford, East London, was identified as the perpetrator when his DNA sample, taken during a London arrest for assault, matched the 2011 attacks’ profile.
Venclovas faced charges of attempted rape and three counts of sexual assault, to which he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison at Leicester Crown Court.
Detective Constable Shannon Hughes of Leicestershire Police remarked on the victims’ long wait for justice, acknowledging the victim who helped solve the case in 2011. Detective Inspector Lorna Granville praised the courage of the women and the investigative efforts that led to Venclovas’ conviction.
This case underscores the commitment of law enforcement to pursuing justice and re-examining unsolved cases with new evidence or information.