16 girls and women report incidents involving fatbike assailant
An additional eleven girls and women have come forward claiming they were harassed by an English-speaking man on a fatbike in Amsterdam and Amstelveen, Het Parool reported on Thursday. The total number of cases being examined by the prosecution has now reached 16. A suspect was taken into custody in late July.
In late June and early July, five women and girls, ranging from 12 to 57 years old, were approached near bike paths by a man on a fatbike. The man, speaking in English, claimed there was a spider on their back and offered assistance. To alleviate their concerns, he sometimes mentioned he was "gay." He then reportedly made inappropriate advances or tried to sexually assault them. The reported assaults took place in Amstelveen and Amsterdam-Zuidoost.
The case came to light when a 12-year-old girl raised the alarm. Her father told AT5 in late July how his daughter had been assaulted on a bike path in Amsterdam-Zuidoost after she was accosted by an English-speaking man on a fatbike.
"Then he very quickly went into her pants with his hand, after which she panicked and started screaming. She didn't go home because she was afraid of passing him again. She went to gymnastics and raised the alarm there,” the father told the local broadcaster.
Specialized investigators launched an investigation into these incidents. Increased surveillance was implemented on bike paths. This led to the arrest of the suspect on July 28. The suspect is a 28-year-old man. According to Het Parool, the man comes from Columbia and has been residing in the Netherlands for approximately one year.
Following the arrest, the police encouraged other potential victims to share their experiences and come forward. This appeal resulted in eleven more individuals reporting similar incidents, bringing the number of reported incidents to 16. All these reports are now under investigation.
The suspect has chosen to exercise his right to remain silent. His detention was recently extended by 30 days, but his attorney Ruben den Riet informed the newspaper that he appealed the extension on behalf of his client.
