Suspect in King’s Day rape to remain in custody for two more weeks
The man arrested after a widely circulated King’s Day video showed an apparent public rape in central Amsterdam is a 27-year-old Italian citizen, currently residing in the city, officials confirmed Wednesday. The suspect remains in custody for at least two more weeks following a court decision on Friday, according to NOS.
The arrest followed the release of a graphic video taken on Saturday afternoon during King’s Day celebrations. The video, filmed on the Keizersgracht canal, shows a man with his pants around his ankles on top of a woman between two parked cars. A group of women can be seen intervening and attempting to pull the man off the victim. Shortly after the incident, the woman involved reported to police that the act was non-consensual. Multiple eyewitnesses also came forward.
The suspect was apprehended soon after the video spread across social media. On Wednesday, he was formally presented before the examining magistrate, who ruled that he will remain detained as the investigation continues.
Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation and out of respect for the victim, Amsterdam’s sexual crimes unit has not disclosed additional details. The police have also issued a strong warning against sharing the footage, calling it both distressing and illegal. “Distributing such videos is a criminal offense,” a spokesperson said.
The case has sparked widespread outrage across the Netherlands, with public officials condemning both the assault and the actions of bystanders who chose to film instead of intervene.
Secretary of State for Justice and Security Eline Coenradie called the existence of such videos “horrific,” praising the women who tried to stop the assault. “I have deep respect for the women who intervened,” she said. “But it would have been better if the men had stepped in and taken a stand: This is unacceptable. You keep your hands off a woman.”
Authorities have not confirmed whether the suspect and the victim knew each other prior to the incident, though police previously indicated the crime did not appear to be random.
