Police in The Hague arrested a man on Saturday on suspicion of stabbing a female festival participant with a hypodermic needle. It is believed to have been arrested for needle spying for the first time in the country.
A 31-year-old man was detained on the scene by security guards at the Hague Outdoor Festival at Zuider Park. Security guard Rendelvanden Heuvel said he had a syringe when he was detained.
“Everyone pointed to the same person,” Vanden Hubbell was reportedly said by AD. “We started Manhunt, we soon welcomed him.”
Dutch police said it was too early to conclude whether the 31-year-old suspect used a syringe to stab a woman. “He can be a drug addict at festivals,” says spokeswoman Herma Hugen. “Some say he did it, but we don’t know. He was arrested for having a subcutaneous injection. Why bring a needle to the festival?”
Details of what was in the syringe have also been withheld. Police are asking witnesses and other potential victims to come forward.
Needle spiking
Increasing reports of needle spying in places such as Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Froningen are even farther away in London, France and Belgium. However, with little evidence and police reports of sexual assault and robbery from alleged victims, authorities say it is very difficult to prove.
“We take all reports seriously, but we haven’t found any evidence of Needle Spiking,” said Rob vander Veen, a spokesman for the Amsterdam Police Department. He says police have received five reports of needle spying in the city since November. “But no one has seen anything. I’m not alone. Without evidence, I wouldn’t say it happened.”
National number
Nationwide, there have been Needle Spiking with 20 to 40 cases reported, but none have been proven.
Van den Heuvel is pleased that this may eventually change. “I hear about such incidents more often, but nine out of ten do not find evidence.”
Authorities advise people who think they have been stabbed to see a doctor immediately, especially because doctors can test for trace amounts of the drug before it disappears from the body.
The Ministry of Justice will send a letter to Congress on how to deal with needle spying in the coming weeks, advising those who believe they have been attacked to report the incident to police.
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