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An 18-year-old student from Maastricht was raped by three Syrian men last October, and one of the suspects also sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl in the same city, Dutch prosecutors alleged during an initial court hearing on Tuesday.
The three men on trial are Ibrahim al I., 19, Ahmed al A.,24, and Mohamad A., 22, all of whom are described by the authorities as asylum seekers or refugees.
As reported by De Telegraaf newspaper, authorities believe one of the suspects may have gone on to commit another sex crime in Sittard just days after being sent away by police who failed to detain him when he voluntarily came forward as a suspect.
When police released images of the suspects in the initial rape, Ibrahim al I. reported himself to the authorities along with another man. However, according to his lawyer, the police sent him away. The prosecutor called that decision a mistake, noting that Ibrahim allegedly assaulted another person in Sittard. Despite this, investigators delayed making arrests until August.
Ibrahim has reportedly confessed to sexual acts with the 15-year-old girl but denies they were non-consensual or involved coercion, violence, or threats. According to prosecutors, the assault occurred on May 9 during a public event between two churches on Vrijthof Square, in the presence of several men. It remains unclear whether the same suspects were involved.
Three of the four Syrians captured on surveillance footage from the October incident are accused of being complicit in the rape, with prosecutors alleging the involvement of coercion, violence, or threats, which constitutes an aggravating circumstance.
50% van alle verdachten van seksuele misdrijven is allochtoon.
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) October 14, 2025
Alleen de PVV gooit dat criminele tuig het land uit en voert meteen een asielstop in.
#PVV #StemPVV #asielstop
https://t.co/KBLYGuHrUO
The student victim encountered the group while trying to find her way home after a night out, having recently moved to Maastricht. The men offered to walk with her, but instead forced her into a building on Hoogbrugstraat, where she was allegedly raped.
According to prosecutors, the student testified about the role of only one suspect, Ahmed al A. Camera footage from the night shows the woman was heavily intoxicated, and prosecutors say there was no indication of consent.
Ahmed al A. and Mohamad A. each accused the other of raping the student, but authorities believe all three suspects took part. Ibrahim admitted to having oral sex with the student on the street, but claimed he was not involved in what happened inside. Mohamad confessed to having sex with the student but denied it was against her will, telling the court he “felt like it” when he saw Ahmed already having sex with her.
The court rejected requests from the lawyers of Mohamad A. and Ibrahim al I. for their release or suspension of pre-trial detention. Both men argued they needed to work to support families in Syria with seriously ill relatives, but the court dismissed the appeals. “It’s unfortunate that your brother is ill, but it hasn’t deterred you from possibly committing new crimes,” the court told Ibrahim.
The case comes amid the Dutch snap election campaign following the collapse of the previous government over asylum policy. The Party for Freedom (PVV), currently leading in polls, has called for the strictest asylum measures in Dutch history.
PVV leader Geert Wilders highlighted this particular case on social media, claiming that, in the Netherlands, “50 percent of all suspects of sexual crimes are of foreign descent.”
“Only the PVV will throw that criminal scum out of the country and immediately introduce an asylum freeze,” he added.
The PVV also advocates for the chemical castration of convicted sex offenders, including the measure in its election manifesto.
Wilders confirmed the policy in September when commenting on another case involving a Somali migrant accused of kidnapping and attempting to rape a 14-year-old girl.
The Dutch head to the polls on Oct. 29.
