Serial rapist from Utrecht to be released; public prosecutor concerned

T. was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2017 for four rapes in the vicinity of Utrecht Science Park in 1995, 1996 and 2001. He evaded the police for a long time until he was caught in 2016 thanks to DNA collected after a bicycle theft.

Women studying or working at the university and other institutions based in De Uithof lived in fear for years that the serial rapist could strike again. The university was forced to take several security measures. For example, a van drove every evening between the Olympos Sports Centre and the place where the bus's final stop used to be located, near UMC Utrecht. In addition, bicycle pool poles on campus allowed people to talk to the university's security guards. At the time, the media nicknamed the criminal "Uithof rapist", much to the university's displeasure because the rapes did not happen on the campus itself.

Now that he has served two-thirds of his sentence, T. can be released early, on March 14. People convicted before 2021 are entitled to this arrangement, but it does not mean that the prisoner is completely free. Instead, detainees are gradually given fewer and fewer restrictions while supervised by the probation service.

On Tuesday, the Public Prosecution Service pleaded with the judge for a six-month postponement, as reported by RTV Utrecht. The Public Prosecution Service is afraid that the man from Nieuwegein will commit the same crimes again and believes he should first be treated in a secluded clinic.

During the trial, T. spoke about his actions for the first time in thirty years. According to RTV Utrecht, he has few memories of the event. He was heavily addicted to cocaine at the time.

The judge will issue a verdict in two weeks.