JEDDAH: The DNA of a man held on suspicion of a series of child rapes has matched that obtained from semen samples recovered from the clothes of one of his victims, Al-Watan reported Tuesday. According to the newspaper, sources close to the investigation said that samples were taken from the most recent victim, a nine-year-old girl, one of 13 young girls thought to have fallen prey to the man in custody. The sources also revealed that six rape victims had formally recognized the suspect. The case has now been presented to the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution which will proceed with its own investigation in order to make its case against the suspect in court. Police in Jeddah launched a manhunt after receiving reports of a number of instances across Jeddah bearing the hallmarks of the same perpetrator. The suspect, who was arrested a week ago, is believed to have targeted young girls found alone in market areas and wedding halls and reports were received from parents in the Jeddah districts of Al-Kandara, Al-Balad, Al-Jami'a and Al-Sharfiya. According to testimonies, the rapist lured young girls into his car by offering them sweets and took them to different locations around the city. He acted at different times of the day and used two vehicles to cover his tracks, and is also reported to have caused serious facial injuries to his victims. Al-Watan said that the most recent victim of the rapist provided numerous details that enabled police to identity him. The father of one victim, a nine-year-old who was abducted outside a supermarket in the Mada'in Al-Fahd District two years ago, told Al-Watan that he wanted to see the suspect sentenced with “the most severe penalty available”.
