Norway: DNA helps identify rape suspect

By bringing this story I am only presenting a partial picture. As it is the topic of this blog to concentrate on issues relating to the Muslim community, I do not usually follow up on non-Muslim related stories. When it comes to rape, there are quite a few of those.

Using DNA traces police located a man that raped a woman and tried to rape and choke another woman on New Year's eve in Oslo

According to police lawyer Sjak Haaheim the man's DNA was taken in another case and it tied him to those two cases as well.

The 27 year old is an Iraqi national. The second woman was attacked so badly that she needed emergency medical help. DNA found at her neck helped police trace the suspect.

The man was checked a few years ago for bothersome conduct against a woman, but at the time police did not have enough to go on to show that a DNA test was in order.

Police do not know if the suspect is responsible for any more unsolved rapes in the capital, but this is now being routinely checked.

In the cases of such rape-assaults, when the victim doesn't know the attacker and there is usually alcohol and intoxicants involved along with the obvious trauma, it is hard for the victim to give a description of the attacker. Police stress, however, the importance of coming forward immediately to ensure evidence.

Since New Year's there have been twelve rape-assaults in Oslo. In the latest a 14 year old girl was raped by two men she described as foreigners last Saturday night. Police were notified only two hours later. DNA tests will show whether there is any connection to previous attacks.

Source: Dagbladet (Norwegian), Dagavisen (Norwegian)

No comments: