A Syrian who allegedly raped a 55-year-old woman in Bladel last year will have to go to jail for two years and three months if it is up to the Public Prosecution Service. TBS with compulsory treatment has also been demanded against him. The man is also suspected of trying to assault a 15-year-old girl.
The prosecutor called the suspect ‘a predator’. The man would have waited for unsuspecting cycling women on the Rondweg between Bladel and Reusel.
One of his victims, a 55-year-old woman, had been to a birthday party. When she returned home, she discovered that her son was not yet home. She decided to go look for him. When she was cycling on the Rondweg, a man came to her and shouted that she had to stop. He forcibly pushed her off her bicycle and she fell into a ditch. The man stuffed grass and a scarf into her mouth and sat on top of her. He then jerked off and penetrated the woman with his penis or his finger, that remains unclear. When a cyclist passed by, the woman was able to call for help. The man then stopped and quietly walked away.
More than a week earlier, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly grabbed by the upper leg by the suspect when she cycled past. She managed to pull herself free and cycled away quickly. The man was still running after her, but when another cyclist approached, he stopped.
Regret
The man was arrested three weeks after the rape. He also confessed to the rape. At first he said he remembered little from the moment he pushed the woman into the ditch. He later came up with more details. According to him, the story told by the victim is correct.
He did not want to say anything about the assault in court, except that he does not remember where he was that night. But according to the public prosecutor, the attack took place twice at approximately the same place, both victims described the same perpetrator and, moreover, the suspect’s telephone also beamed at that location on the evenings in question.
During the hearing, the suspect said several times that he is “hugely sorry” and “hopes for forgiveness.” But the prosecutor openly questioned the sincerity of his apology. Because of the major impact on the victims and the high risk of recurrence due to a sexual disorder, she came up with a strong demand. Three and a half years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment. The time that the man was in custody starts from there. He would then have to spend another two years and three months in prison.
Impact
The impact on the victims is enormous. The woman who was raped read a victim impact statement in court. In it she said she begged the man to stop, but he didn’t. She was pushed into the ditch on her stomach and is convinced that she would have drowned if there had been water in that ditch. She further said that she does not believe that the man is sorry and that he has taken away her freedom and pleasure in cycling. She ended up hoping that the man will be deported.
The mother of the 15-year-old girl also read a statement. According to her, her daughter’s carefree childhood is over. The girl no longer dares to be alone outside, not even in the garden. And she doesn’t dare to sleep alone anymore. She is scarred for life.
Unrest
The attacks caused a lot of unrest in Bladel. Young people cycle home on that road at night after going out in Reusel. The road is also widely used for commuting. Others regularly walk along the Rondweg. Many people no longer dared to do so after the attacks.
READ ALSO: Woman abused and girl pulled from her bicycle: man (38) arrested