Soho Nightclub Rapists Sent Down for 7½ Years
Two Italian men were locked up for brutally raping a woman in a Soho nightclub. Ferdinando Orlando, 25, and Lorenzo Costanzo, 26, were convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to seven and a half years behind bars at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 22 November.
Victim’s Harrowing Ordeal
Detective Sergeant Rebecca Woodsford, who led the lengthy 2017 investigation, described the victim’s trauma. “Both men put the victim through a traumatic ordeal,” she said. “She’s suffered severe psychological injuries and physical harm that night.”
The victim’s powerful statement revealed her battle to cope. “I did not consent to sex with either or both of these people,” she said. “I constantly relive snatches of that awful night. It’s changed my life forever. But I’m strong and grateful the jury saw the truth. No one should feel unsafe when out having fun.”
The Night of the Attack
- On 25 February 2017, the victim was at The Toy Rooms on Argyll Street with friends.
- The two rapists arrived later—strangers to the victim.
- They danced and kissed her before leading her into a maintenance room.
- CCTV showed her visibly drunk and unsteady.
- Inside the room, the pair raped her. They then returned to the club, high-fived, and watched footage of the attack on a phone.
The victim was later found in severe pain and rescued by staff and a French couple, before police and ambulance were called.
Justice Served
Both men fled the UK after the attack—Costanzo returning weeks later for a football game, when he was arrested at Heathrow. Orlando handed himself in a month later. Neither offered a truthful account during interviews, only claiming consensual sex in court.
DS Woodsford urged other survivors to come forward: “I hope this result empowers victims to report rape. And that it warns offenders we will prosecute fully.”
Club Responds
A spokesperson for The Toy Rooms said: “We’re appalled by this incident and send our thoughts to the victim. Guest safety is our priority, and we’ve fully cooperated with police to bring justice.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, please come forward. Your information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and specialist support is available.
