A cold case police team have arrested a 61-year-old man from Zwijndrecht in connection with the rape of a 65-year-old woman 21 years ago in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, in Zuid Holland.

The man forced himself into the woman’s flat in May 2004 and raped her in her bedroom. A description of the man and evidence left at the crime scene did not lead to an arrest at the time.

The breakthrough in the case came when the Dutch forensic institute NFI carried out a DNA kinship test at the request of the Rotterdam cold case unit. This tool can be used by police since 2012 but only in the worst cases of violence, including sexual violence.

The search resulted in a match which, following additional DNA testing, ultimately led to the arrest of the man.

“It must have been a complete nightmare for the victim. We have done our utmost to find the suspect, even after all this time,” a detective in the case told local broadcaster Rijnmond.nl.

The victim in the case died some time ago. Her relatives have been informed, police said. The man will remain in custody for the next two weeks.