Horror as 11-year-old Dutch girl stabbed to death in broad daylight by ‘man from Syria’ – as police arrest 29-year-old man
Police have arrested a man after an 11-year-old girl was stabbed to death in broad daylight in the Dutch town of Nieuwegein.
The incident happened at around 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday afternoon. Local reports suggest the victim was in the street in Utrecht city, around 30 miles from the capital city, Amsterdam, when she was stabbed.
Emergency services were called to the scene but were unable to save her life, police have said.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested, and ANP news agency reported that police confirmed the suspect was originally from Syria.
The agency said that police are investigating reports that the suspect had been acting ‘confused’ in the week prior to the attack.
They did not indicate any motivation for the attack.
A statement from Utrecht regional police read: ‘In the immediate vicinity, the police arrested a 29-year-old suspect based on information from bystanders and others’.
Images taken at the scene on Sunday show police inspecting a shed roof near the site.
Images taken at the scene on Sunday show police inspecting a shed roof near the site
Floral tributes have already began to gather at the site of the attack
Youngsters seek solace at the spot where the young girl was stabbed to death
People lay flowers, cards and dolls near the spot where the 11-year-old girl was stabbed
Flowers, cards and teddy bears have taken up space at the site of the attack
Floral tributes have already began to gather at the site of the attack, with images showing a collection of flowers, teddy bears and cards.
Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands and is home to Utrecht University, the largest university in the country, as well as several other institutions of higher education.
Due to its central position within the country, it is an important hub for both rail and road transport and has the busiest railway station in the Netherlands.
