Lesbian couple assaulted; suspect extinguishes cigarette on woman’s body

A lesbian couple was assaulted at a terrace in Rotterdam on Friday. One of the women managed to chase after the perpetrator and lead the police right to him. A 34-year-old man from Rotterdam was arrested, the police said.

The woman and her wife were having something to eat at a terrace on Lijnbaan on Friday afternoon when a man started making obscene gestures and comments at them. At first they ignored him, but after "umpteenth annoying remark" one of the women decided to reply, the police said in a statement.

The man did not like the reply and attacked the woman. He pushed a burning cigarette into her neck and hit her multiple times, before casually walking away.

The woman immediately called the police and went after the perpetrator. She followed him, all the time giving his location to the police. Responding officers arrested the 34-year-old man a short time later.

The police think the man may have attacked the women due to their sexual orientation, but his motive and the circumstances surrounding the attack are still under investigation.