Man, 62, to face rape charges in Northern Ireland after Netherlands extradition

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

A 62-year-old man has been extradited from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland to face historical allegations of rape.

Police said he is expected to face three offences of rape, seven offences of indecent assault against a female, two offences of gross indecency towards a child and one offence of common assault.

The offences are alleged to have occurred in the Belfast area in the 1990s.

The man was initially arrested in the Netherlands on October 7th and was extradited to Northern Ireland on Thursday.

He is to appear before Laganside Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Sergeant Davey, from the International Policing Unit, said: “Today’s extradition demonstrates our continued and effective working with international partners to track down wanted persons and bring offenders to justice.

“In this case we worked closely with the National Crime Agency and authorities in the Netherlands to locate, arrest and extradite this suspect.

“Our message is clear to anyone who has left Northern Ireland to avoid arrest or the consequences of their actions. We will relentlessly pursue those that are trying to delay or deny justice to victims of crime.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.