1990 rape case brought to court after DNA breakthrough, prosecution seeks 4 years prison

The Public Prosecution Service has recommended a four-year prison sentence in a decades-old sexual offence case. On Tuesday, 59-year-old Willem V. stood trial in The Hague for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in Bodegraven, Zuid-Holland, in March 1990.

The victim was alone at home on the day of the incident. The then 23-year-old suspect allegedly gained entry under false pretenses and raped her in a bedroom, during which he is said to have threatened her by saying, "If you scream again, I’ll put a knife between your ribs."

V. from Noord-Brabant told police a different account, claiming he had come to see the girl’s mother, whom he knew through his brother. He said he was seeking emotional comfort, but that upon entering the house, he became "overcome by lust."

The suspect from Wijk en Aalburg was arrested in May 2025 after a DNA match was found in a British database and has remained in custody since. V., who initially refused to answer questions, later broke down in tears during proceedings. He expressed remorse for the rape, but disputed allegations that he used threats or physical violence.

The prosecutor argued that only a significant custodial sentence would be suitable in the case. The prosecution said it took particular issue with the defendant’s denial of having used violence. His prolonged silence was also considered an aggravating factor. “Even when your own brother was being considered a suspect, you still chose not to speak,” the prosecutor told the court.

The victim, now 50, told the court she has lived in constant fear since the rape. “I begged my mother to move, but we didn’t have the money. I felt physically sick at the idea of staying in that home,” she said. Addressing the visibly emotional defendant directly, she added, “You’ve had 35 years to show remorse. Without a DNA match, you would never have been brought to justice. I blame you for that.”

Defence lawyer Yehudi Moszkowicz argued that his client should not have been prosecuted in the Netherlands for the alleged rape, claiming that he had already been found innocent in a British case and that the evidence should have been destroyed.

He asked the court to declare the prosecution inadmissible, saying that a lengthy prison sentence would be disproportionately severe. He added that V., now a family man who once ran a business, is no longer the same person as in 1990.

In his final statement, the defendant said he regretted being honest and once again denied using violence. “Because I was open, things are now being attributed to me that I didn’t do,” he said.

The court is due to issue its ruling on July 7.