Paedophile suspect arrested in Canada
An 85-year-old man from Volendam has been arrested in Canada on child sex abuse charges dating back to the 1970s.
He has been on the wanted list since fleeing back to the Netherlands in 1993, according to the Canadian press.
Anton Rapati was arrested while visiting his brother in the town of St Albert in Canada, local papers say. He was apparently picked up by police after being spotted by the sister of one of his alleged victims.
He is set to appear in court on Thursday.
Football club volunteer
The Telegraaf reports that Rapati bought a house in Volendam, 20kms north of Amsterdam, in 1989 and was an active volunteer at the local football club.
Neighbours say they believe Rapati went back to Canada after neighbours complained about the state of his house in Volendam which was piled high with rubbish.
‘The filth was piled up to the ceiling. There was a dreadful smell and dead rats and mice,’ neighbour Wil Prumper told the Telegraaf.
Rapati is accused of abusing a number of boys and girls aged between six and 16 from 1971 to 1978 in St Albert and Edson.
One alleged victim says Rapati, who worked as a gardener, cut the throat of a rabbit to intimidate him.
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.
We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.
Make a donation