Police identify Aalborg rape suspect held in Spain

North Jutland Police believe they have identified a 48-year-old man suspected of rape and attempted rape in Aalborg in October 2023, DR reports. A court in Aalborg is due to hold a custody hearing today, but the man will not attend because he is already in pre-trial detention in Spain in connection with another case.

Police say DNA evidence led them to the suspected perpetrator. Police Commissioner Carsten Straszek described the case as extremely serious and said he hoped the process could now move towards holding the suspect accountable.

The man has been sought since October 20, 2023, when a 32-year-old woman was raped in Østerådalen, a recreational area in Aalborg. About half an hour later, a 46-year-old woman was subjected to an attempted rape. She called for help, and the perpetrator fled.

Police issued surveillance images of the suspect, but an intensive investigation did not locate him. They believed he had left the country. Straszek expects it will take a long time to have him extradited from Spain.