"Significant danger to society": Havant man who raped three women and forced them to have sex with male guilty
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A predator who raped three women and forced his victims to have sex with another man has been found guilty.
Depraved Bruno Claudiuo Sala, 39 of Havant, was convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court today (August 7) of several offences against three women. He formed relationships with his victims, between 2019 and 2020, before setting them up to be raped and abused by himself and his accomplice - Edson Da-Cunha Domingos.
John Montague, a Senior District Crown Prosecutor with Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Wessex, said, “Bruno Sala poses a significant danger to society. He did not see these women as people – he saw them as objects he could use, humiliate and dominate. Sala took pleasure in knowing the extreme harm he was causing these women, and others, like Domingos, took advantage of their vulnerability for their own sexual gratification.”
Sala has been found guilty of five counts of rape against three women, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and two counts of encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence, believing it would be committed. He denied being violent towards the females and claimed all of the sexual activity was consensual.
Court heard from the women that they met Sala on dating apps, with relationships quickly intensifying. He started off as being “gentle and loving”, the jury heard, luring his victims into a false sense of security by buying them gifts and introducing their children to each other. Sala’s demeanour suddenly changed later into the relationship, where perceived slights were punished with rape and physical assault.
He had plied one of the women with cocaine and alcohol, raping her while her face was held down in the drug, and subjecting another to extreme humiliation. It became expected that the women would sleep with Domingos. If they refused, Sala would rape, assault, and demean them until they agreed.
Domingos, 40, of Southsea, was tried alongside Sala and found guilty of two counts of rape against one woman. He originally denied ever having had sexual contact with the woman, and claimed he only met her once at a barbeque.
Both men were convicted by jury, with prosecutors proving the pair were responsible for the extensive rape and abuse of the victims. They are due to be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 1.
Mr Montague, head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit at the CPS, added: “The prosecution team presented evidence such as witness testimony, phone data and evidence of injuries to build a robust case and secure convictions. Most importantly, I would like to commend the courage of these women – who, in the face of significant trauma, have in turn helped secure justice against these dangerous men.”