Apeldoorn man arrested for rapes committed in 1995 and 1997

Police in Apeldoorn have arrested a 61-year-old man suspected of committing two rapes nearly 30 years ago. The suspect was identified through DNA evidence that had been preserved from the original crime scenes.

The first incident occurred in the autumn of 1995 in Apeldoorn, where a woman was forcibly pulled from her bicycle and assaulted, sustaining injuries. The second incident took place in the summer of 1997 in the outskirts of Deventer, involving a similar pattern where a victim was pulled from her bicycle and sexually assaulted.

While no suspects were apprehended at the time, investigators confirmed that the DNA samples from both cases matched. A cold case team successfully identified the man by searching for potential relatives within the DNA database, leading to his recent arrest. The suspect is currently in custody as the investigation continues.