Five people, including three teenage boys, have been charged in connection with the rape of a teenage girl in Gravesend, Kent, police have said.
Ionut Dobre, 33, of Cleanthus Road, Woolwich, has been charged with rape. Two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy, all from Gravesend, have also been charged with rape. Benone Inofte, 46, of Salisbury Road, Gravesend, has been charged with aiding and abetting a rape. The identities of the three minors are protected by law.
Kent Police received reports on Tuesday 21 April 2026 that a teenage girl had been raped at a private property on Salisbury Road in Gravesend. The alleged offence is said to have taken place between 25 March and 19 April 2026. Officers arrested two men and three boys on Tuesday 21 April and Wednesday 22 April.
All five charged individuals appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 April. They are next due to appear at Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London on 22 May. Woolwich Crown Court handles serious criminal cases.
Both men have been remanded into custody. Two of the boys have been remanded into youth detention. The third boy has been released into the care of the local authority, the force added in a statement.
Legal context
Under English law, a person charged with aiding and abetting a rape can be found guilty of assisting or encouraging the commission of the crime, even if they were not present during the actual offence, provided they conspired with the perpetrator. The legal system treats young offenders differently from adults: sentences for those under 18 focus on rehabilitation. Possible sentences include detention and training orders, which involve serving part of the sentence in custody and part in the community under supervision. For serious crimes, longer custodial sentences or life sentences are possible, with a portion served in custody and the remainder on licence.
Support for victims
The victim is being supported through the investigation, with a range of services available in Kent. Beech House is the county’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, offering confidential medical, practical and emotional support. Trained independent sexual violence advisers provide practical and emotional support throughout the reporting process, investigation and court proceedings. The Kent Sexual Assault & Abuse Service (formerly East Kent Rape Crisis Centre) in Canterbury offers support for survivors of sexual violence and coercion of any age or gender. Family Matters, a registered charity based in Gravesend, provides free specialist support services for all survivors of rape and sexual abuse in Kent, including face-to-face therapy and an ISVA service.
