The man managed to enter the flat where the victim lived 21 years ago. He rang the victims doorbell and then forced his way into the home. He raped the 65-year-old woman in her bedroom. The investigation team secured evidence and sought assistance from, among others, Opsporing Verzocht on September 13, 2004. A composite photo was shown in this broadcast, but unfortunately with no results. Until last Monday, September 8.

For the past two years, the Cold Case Team has been working very closely with detectives from Team Zeden to reassess the most serious and unresolved sexual offenses. This case was no exception.

Thanks to a DNA kinship investigation by the NFI, a man came into view who was identified as a suspect. After his arrest, additional DNA testing was conducted. And with results: there is a match with the evidence secured in 2004. The suspect has since been presented to the examining magistrate, and it has been decided to extend his pre-trial detention by 14 days.

Victim Passed Away Some Time Ago
A sexual offense case is extremely traumatic and impactful. Sexual offense detectives have undergone specific training to also interrogate suspects of such crimes. They are also very aware of the impact. One of the detectives about the investigation: “It must have been horrific for the victim. We have done everything we could to identify a suspect. Unfortunately, we were not able to inform her personally. The victim passed away some time ago, but of course, we informed her family about this breakthrough.”

Are You a Victim?
If you are a victim of a sexual offense, contact the police at 0900-8844. You can also always reach out to Victim Support Netherlands (0900-0101) and/or the Sexual Violence Center (0800-0188).