How West Midlands Police caught dangerous rapist just days after 'horrendous' Birmingham phone box attack
Detectives worked around the clock to find the person responsible for this horrific attack.
The work of West Midlands Police detectives to catch a dangerous rapist was showcased in the latest episode of the new series of Forensics: The Real CSI.
Detectives from the Public Protection Unit were featured, which highlights how forensics can be used in complex cases.
The episode, which aired on March 8, highlights the case of Cornel Filipeche, who was jailed in February 2025 for beating and raping a woman in a phone box in Perry Barr a month earlier.
The attack was captured on CCTV which gave detectives an image of the offender. From there they were able to capture him on CCTV at a pub that the victim, who was a stranger to him, had been at before the attack.
Further CCTV tracked him walking back to a car nearby and after being identified by local officers, he was arrested.
Forensics were vital in linking Filipeche to the rape, with his DNA found on the waistband of the victim’s underwear.
Detective Inspector Emma Watson, who led the investigation, said: "This was a horrendous attack on a young woman and for her sake and the wider public’s, I’m so glad we managed to get him arrested, charged and convicted within days of the attack happening.
Read more here: Man jailed for raping and assaulting woman in Birmingham
“We couldn’t have done this without the team and our forensics unit.”
Filipeche was jailed for ten years in April 2025. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Forensics: The Real CSI was filmed in direct co-operation with West Midlands Police and features five significant cases our officers investigated across the region.
Cornel Filipeche, aged 21 and of Hawthorn Road, Perry Barr, was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to rape, robbery and causing grievous bodily harm at Birmingham Crown Court in June 2025.
The next episode airs at 9pm on Sunday.
