A paternity test or, more generally, a DNA test provides a reliable picture of who has which mutual relationships or who was present at a crime scene. Like the paternity test, the general DNA test uses a comparison based on a number of loci to determine whether there is a relationship between them. The police in Valkenswaard wants to use a large-scale DNA test to make a match with the available evidence. Moreover, in this way the police can map out a family tree.
Suspicion of 12 sex offenses
The police will ask residents within a certain radius of the crime scene to voluntarily provide DNA. According to experts, the DNA of relatives of the rapist can already lead to the perpetrator, if the perpetrator himself refuses to provide DNA. Police are targeting a serial rapist suspected of 12 sex offenses. Between 1989 and 2010, 3 sex offenses were linked, the police expect the serial rapist to have more on his plate. According to some of the victims, it was a man who smelled of alcohol and had rough working hands.
Cold Case Team on the case
Meanwhile, a Cold Case Team has been placed on the case, who are making a new attempt to track down and apprehend the serial rapist. The police want to deploy large equipment and make use of the DNA test, which, just like a paternity test, provides a reliable result without the investigation having to take a lot of time on the other hand.
DNA investigation in Marianne Vaatstra . case
A similar strategy by the police quickly provided clarity about the murderer in the case of Marianne Vaatstra. A few years ago, 8,000 men voluntarily gave their DNA, which subsequently made it possible to identify a perpetrator with a probability bordering on certainty, who is now under lock and key.