Amsterdam police deploy extra cops to Sloterplas over boys on fatbikes groping women
The Amsterdam police are launching a major operation against the sexual harassment of women around the Sloterplas. Boys on fatbikes regularly verbally abuse or grope women in the area, the police said. Since March, the police have received dozens of reports. They worry that the nicer weather will lead to more incidents as more people are out and about.
According to the police, the perpetrators are often boys on fatbikes, and they typically target jogging women, sexually harassing them verbally or slapping them on the buttocks. Slapping someone on the buttocks constitutes sexual assault, community police officers stressed in a video on Instagram. “We can arrest you for that.”
The Amsterdam police deployed extra officers, both in uniform and plain clothes, police horses, and even drones to monitor the area and catch perpetrators in the act. “Even if you think we’re not there, we still see you,” a spokesperson warned. Officers will also actively approach boys in the park to address them on their behavior.
Earlier this week, the police in the Rotterdam region also warned of boys on fatbikes posing a danger to others. In separate incidents, two elderly men were assaulted by teenagers on fatbikes in Dordrecht and Papendercht within a week of each other.
