After assaulting at least 30 people over four years in South Holland, a 57-year-old male cyclist was finally convicted on Wednesday.
He was sentenced to two years in prison, one of which is conditional, reports NU.nl.
Four years, 30 women
Between May 2019 and August 2023, dozens of women could hardly enjoy walking around South Holland in peace.
The reason? A man cycling through various outdoor areas, groping their private areas. He inappropriately touched at least 30 women, one of whom was a minor.
Randomly selected, but purposeful
During Wednesday’s court verdict in the Hague, the judge determined that the man acted purposefully: he committed assaults without any witnesses around.
The victims could not have known that only intended to touch them briefly, causing them further distress.
“It is precisely these kinds of facts that make women feel restricted in their freedom of movement,” explains the judge.
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He claimed he never intended to touch a minor or the women’s genitals. But since he groped the women while cycling past them at high speed, the judge decreed he accepted that chance.
A psychologist diagnosed the cyclist with frotteurism disorder — a condition where someone gets aroused when touching people without permission.
On top of his sentence, he must seek treatment for this and pay around €500 to eight victims.
Turned himself in
The man was caught on camera committing one of his heinous acts, and when the footage circled in his cycling club, he turned himself in.
He was previously convicted in 2009. If he commits another offense within three years, he will serve the conditional part of his sentence as well.
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