Suspect, 18, arrested for brutal Rotterdam rape

The police arrested a suspect for the brutal rape of a young woman in front of her home on Herman Bavinckstraat in Rotterdam on Saturday. The 18-year-old man from Rotterdam was arrested on Tuesday evening, the police announced on Wednesday.

The victim cycled from Rotterdam Centraal to her home early on Saturday morning. She arrived at her home around 5:30 a.m. and was attacked and raped while she was locking her bike. The victim, an Indonesian exchange student according to NOS, was seriously injured in the attack and had to undergo surgery.

The police were led to the suspect based on a brief description given by the victim and footage from surveillance cameras on the route the victim took home. The police call the arrest of the suspect a "big step" in the investigation, which is still ongoing. Investigators are still looking for witnesses.

"Everyone was extremely driven to get to the suspect as soon as possible", lead investigator Albert Jansen said. "This does not lessen the suffering of the woman, the victim, but we hope that it will at least help her with the processing."