A MAN has been charged with carrying out sexual assaults on two women inside a Dundee nightclub.
Marius Ropota, who lives in the city’s Mossgiel Crescent, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and previously denied two charges against him.
Ropota denied sexually assaulting the women at Liquid nightclub, on South Ward Road, on January 18.
He allegedly sexually assaulted the first woman by placing his hands up her skirt, seizing her by the body, pushing her against a wall and attempting to kiss her on the mouth, and touching her.
He also allegedly sexually assaulted a second woman by repeatedly placing his hand up her skirt and touching her.
Ropota — formerly of the city’s Dens Road — had appeared in court at an earlier date for a first diet, where he pleaded not guilty.
However, when he was due to appear for trial on Monday, he failed to appear. A warrant has now been issued for his arrest.
It’s understood that Ropota may be attempting to leave the country.
A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland is actively trying to trace him and anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to contact us on 101.”
A spokeswoman for Liquid insisted that alleged attacks like these were not common.
She said: “This is a police matter and we have fully supported their investigation. Thankfully, alleged incidents of this nature are isolated.”
Figures from Police Scotland show that there were 543 sexual crimes reported in Dundee throughout the whole of 2014/15.
That was a rise of 205 — or more than 60% — on the previous year.
There were nearly 200 sexual assaults in that time, with only two-thirds of them being solved by the end of the year.
In the first half of this year (2015/16), officers received 200 reports of sexual crimes in Dundee.
Among those were 82 alleged sexual assaults — with 65 of them, about 73%, being solved by the end of September.
Liquid is the city’s largest nightclub and includes Envy nightclub next door.
It opened its doors in 2008.
The brand is owned by The Deltic Group, which also runs Liquid nightclubs in eight other locations in England and Wales.
Liquid describes itself as “one of the best nightclubs in Dundee” and “the UK’s leading nightclub brand”.
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