Utrecht man held in women cyclist attacks suspected of attempted kidnappings, assault

The man who was arrested on Friday on allegations he attacked women in Utrecht is under suspicion for two kidnapping attempts and one case of assault, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said in an update on Tuesday. He likely intended to perpetrate a sexually violent crime, the prosecutor believes.

A spokesperson said that the OM also intends to add “attempted sexual assault” to the indictment. “That is the suspected motive for pulling these women off their bikes,” the spokesperson said.

During a hearing on Tuesday, an examining magistrate extended the man’s pre-trial detention by two weeks, the maximum allowed.

The suspect was arrested on Friday evening near the rail station in Maastricht, Limburg. Before that, the police had distributed photographs of him. The car he was supposedly driving around in was also shown. It was found in Roermond, Limburg.

Several media outlets have reported that the man was formerly incarcerated and forced to undergo mandatory psychiatric treatment in an institution. A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service did not confirm this on Tuesday.