Man arrested for stabbing young girl in Nieuwegein; Child sustained minor injuries
A man stabbed a young girl on the street in Nieuwegein on Monday. The child was not seriously hurt and did not have to go to the hospital, the municipality of the Utrecht city later confirmed. The police arrested the man, who had been showing disturbed behavior, several locals told RTV Utrecht.
The stabbing happened on Havezatedrift in the Batau-Zuid district at around 7:00 p.m. The police, an ambulance, and the fire brigade responded. According to the local security office, Veiligheidsregio Utrecht, officers had smelled gas in a home on the street and called in the fire brigade as a precaution. Nothing was found.
Exactly what happened is not yet clear. The police are investigating and have asked for witnesses and anyone with relevant information or camera footage to come forward.
The municipality of Nieuwegein confirmed on its website that the girl was not seriously hurt and was at home with her family. Mayor Marijke van Beukering expressed sympathy and support for the victim, her family, and witnesses. “An incident like this always has an impact, and I can well imagine that this causes fear in the entire community,” she said.
In February, in another neighborhood of Nieuwegein, a man stabbed an 11-year-old girl to death on the street. Suspect Hamzah L. (29) was under the supervision of the addiction probation service at the time and had previously been in treatment at the Fivoor mental hospital in Den Dolder. The case sparked a debate in parliament and prompted several investigations.
