50-year-old man charged in ten-year-old rape case

A 50-year-old man has been charged in a rape case dating back to 2015, in which an 89-year-old woman at the time was assaulted and raped at her home in Over Fussing near Randers.

The prosecution service at East Jutland Police has brought charges following an extensive investigation in which familial DNA searching in the national DNA database led police to the now-charged man.

The man was arrested in February 2025 and has been held in pre-trial detention since then. He denies the charges.

The rape occurred on 18 September 2015, when the perpetrator forced his way into the woman’s home, subjected her to violence and threats, and then dragged her outside, where he raped her. He subsequently fled the scene, and the woman managed to contact the police.

Police recovered DNA at the crime scene, but at the time there was no match in the databases. The breakthrough came in 2025, when familial DNA searching identified a relative of the accused, leading to his arrest.

Senior prosecutor Birgitte Ernst of East Jutland Police describes familial DNA searching as a powerful tool in solving older cases and stresses that the case can now be brought before the courts after more than ten years of waiting.

In addition to the rape charge, the 50-year-old man has also been charged with indecent exposure offences from 2021 and 2023, in which he is alleged to have filmed unknown individuals in intimate situations.

The prosecution will seek an unconditional prison sentence and has reserved the right to pursue claims for compensation and deprivation of rights. The case is expected to be heard at the Randers District Court in 2026.