Three men deny raping woman who was vulnerable due to alcohol in Maastricht

Three men aged 19, 22, and 24, who are accused of raping a young woman in October of last year in Maastricht, deny forcing her to have sex. The suspects claim that the woman consented to the sexual acts. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) believes that the suspects took advantage of the woman’s “vulnerable state,” partly due to alcohol use.

The 18-year-old victim was reportedly raped during the evening hours of October 28, leading into October 29, when she was on her way home after a night out. She encountered four men by the Sint Servaasbrug. Because the woman was still unfamiliar with her new neighborhood, the four offered to take her home.

Instead, she was taken to a building on Hoogbrugstraat, where she was reportedly raped. The police later released blurred CCTV footage, which resulted in the arrest of all four suspects.

Three of the men appeared at a public hearing for the first time on Tuesday. “I think it’s strange that the prosecution is accusing me of rape with violence,” defendant Mohamad A. told the court through an interpreter. “I did have sex, but it was not forced.” The OM said that a co-defendant testified that A. had sexual intercourse with the victim against her will.

Suspect Ibrahim I. is also accused of two other instances of sexual violence in addition to the rape accusation. In May, he allegedly raped a girl under 16 in Maastricht and is also facing charges of sexual assault.

The court decided that the three suspects will stay in detention. The presiding judge stated that allowing them to remain free while awaiting trial would be hard to justify to society. A fourth suspect may face the court at a later date, though it is unclear when; he is currently not in custody.