Alexandru Toader arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault

Alexandru Toader, a lecturer at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (UAIC) Faculty of Law in Iași and son of former Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, has been placed in preventive arrest for 30 days. He faces charges of continuous rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and abuse of function for sexual purposes.

Investigators conducted searches at Toader’s notary office and a university office shared with his father. Prosecutors allege a pattern of abuse involving female students, with one victim claiming she was assaulted both at the notary office and within the university premises. Toader has exercised his right to remain silent during hearings.

The UAIC administration has taken several measures in response. The Faculty of Law decided that Toader will be prohibited from all teaching activities regardless of the legal outcome. Additionally, Tudorel Toader and lawyer Olga-Andreea Urda, who are representing Alexandru Toader, have been barred from teaching fourth-year students to prevent contact with potential victims or witnesses.

Student organizations, including ANOSR, have called on the Romanian Parliament and the Ministry of Education to reform university ethics legislation to better prevent and sanction such misconduct. Meanwhile, the Iași Bar has criticized the university's decision to restrict the teaching activities of the defense lawyers, arguing it could discourage legal representation in sensitive cases.