A shocking crime has shaken the quiet town of Great Yarmouth, where a 34-year-old Romanian man , Madalin Ilinca, has been charged with rape and sexual assault following the attack on two teenage girls on a beach in the early hours of May 16.

The $30 million toe in the water

According to Norfolk Constabulary, Ilinca was stopped at the port of Dover while re-entering the UK on suspicion of attacking the girls on Great Yarmouth Beach. He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning and has since been remanded into custody.

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.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The attack on the two teenage girls on Great Yarmouth Beach is not an isolated incident. In 2024, a series of institutional buy-ups in Sydney sparked concerns about the safety of women in public spaces.

According to the report, officers were searching for a second suspect they believed was outside of the country and were working to locate him.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The second suspect, described as a white man with short dark hair and dark facial hair in his 30s or 40s, remains at large. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Andrew Bird,a semi-retired window fitter who was living in a tent on the dunes at the time of the attack , said he woke up on Saturday morning to see the area cordoned off.

'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,' he said.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

Norfolk Police were called to South Beach Parade, Great Yarmouth, on May 16 following reports that two girls had been raped. Police 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.

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.

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."

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.