Police arrest suspect in connection with violent sexual assault in Zeist

The police have arrested a suspect in connection with the violent sexual assault in Zeist. Last Friday, a woman was attacked in broad daylight in the woods near the city of Utrecht.

Earlier that same day, another woman, a short distance away, had been approached by someone matching roughly the same description as the alleged perpetrator. When she screamed loudly, the man fled. On Wednesday, the police released identifiable images of him.

The police are not disclosing the suspect’s age or place of residence. The man was eventually taken into custody thanks to several useful tips, the police reported on Thursday afternoon.

The victim in the sexual assault described the attacker as being an English-speaking man with an Eastern European accent. She said he was between 30 and 40 years of age, and about 1.80-meters tall, telling investigators he was muscular, with short hair and a light skin tone.

The victim in the earlier attempted assault gave a similar description. Police later revised their public appeal to state he could be up to 50 years old, and was seen wearing a black tank top and denim shorts.

Many police officers were deployed after the attack in the forest, including sniffer dog teams, and a helicopter to monitor the area. Attempts to find the suspect after the attack on August 15 were unsuccessful. Despite the arrest on Thursday, police are still asking for any witnesses of the attack to come forward with any information they may have

The man is being held in full restricted custody, police said. He is only allowed to keep in contact with his lawyer.

Suspects in criminal cases can typically be held for up to three days during the initial phase of an investigation. That period can be extended by an additional 14 days during a hearing with the examining magistrate assigned to the case. An arraignment before three district court judges would then be scheduled, with the court able to remand the suspect to pre-trial detention for successive 90-day periods.