Unrest in Brabant town after young woman's rape; suspect arrested

The police arrested a 28-year-old man from Asten-Heusden on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of raping an 18-year-old woman in the Noord-Brabant town during the early hours of Monday morning. The rape caused a great deal of unrest in the town.

The young woman was pulled off her bike and raped on Kastellaan in Heusden during the early hours of Monday morning. She was cycling home from Asten after a night out with friends. The suspect fled on foot after the rape, leaving his bicycle behind and the terrified young woman behind.

On Monday the police did extensive investigation at the scene, securing a lot of trace evidence. A sniffer dog was deployed to help look for evidence, and the police called for witnesses and information on social media. Multiple tips, as well as a sniffer dog tracing the way to the man's address, led the police to the suspect. He was arrested and is in custody for questioning.

Local residents are massively relieved by the arrest. One resident told Eindhovens Dagblad that he went to look for clues himself before the arrest. "It is an extremely weird feeling that the man could have walked here", he said to the newspaper. "That makes you extra alert. I also saw many young people looking for clues that can lead to the perpetrator. That says a lot about the unrest here."