The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has asked the Court of Brașov to apply the maximum sentence in the case in which police officer Vlad Roșca is on trial for the accident in Poiana Brașov, which resulted in the death of Olympic student Andrei Șerban Ionescu and the serious injury of a young woman. FACIAS asked the court to take into account the seriousness of the crime, the defendant's status as an SAS officer and suspicions about the way the case was handled in the initial stages of the investigation.
FACIAS argues that Vlad Roșca's membership of the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot constitute a mitigating circumstance, but, on the contrary, an aggravating one. The status of SAS officer entails increased responsibility and a professional obligation to obey the law, and flagrant breaches of that status undermine public confidence in the authority of the State.
At the time of the accident, the defendant Vlad Roșca, an active officer in the Special Action Service Iași, was driving the car on a sector of the road with prohibited access, having an alcohol level of 1.70 g/l at the time of the sample taken at 21:50, and 1.54 g/l at the time of the sample taken at 22:50. The collision resulted in the death of Ionescu Andrei Șerban, an outstanding student, and injuries to another young woman. FACIAS points out that the act was committed in a manner which shows flagrant disregard for human life and road safety rules.
FACIAS also showed to the court how the case was handled in the initial stages of the investigation, which was marked by delays and a late proposal for arrest in the prosecution phase, elements that raised suspicions of possible preferential treatment for the policeman Vlad Roșca.
In this regard, FACIAS calls on the magistrates to eliminate any form of unjustified leniency and to set the penalty at the special maximum of the range provided by law for the crime of homicide, given the tragic consequences of the act and the major impact on public safety. This would send a strong message to society that the police uniform does not provide immunity from criminal consequences.
In support of its request for the application of the special maximum penalty, FACIAS invoked comparative law standards in the European Union. In Italy, for road homicide with blood alcohol content over 1.5 g/l, the range of penalties is between 8 and 12 years in prison, and in particularly serious cases up to 18 years.