As reported last week, eight men had been arrested for being a part of an alleged Den Bosch rape ring.
Now, those same eight men have been released from custody based on a lack of evidence. Last week, two were already released with the remaining six being sent home yesterday. The men remain suspects in the case, however, they are allowed to continue the investigation in freedom. Prosecutors are appealing the ruling and using last week’s social media reaction to the arrests.
Those social media reactions included sharing of the suspects’ victims pictures, including threatening messages. The social media posts, the prosecutor fears, can further hinder the investigation. “As reported last week, we have strong indications that more girls have fallen victim to this group. We also have an idea of who some of them are, but unfortunately, fear plays a major role in this case. There are girls who simply do not dare come forward because they are afraid of the consequences and that is terribly sad,” the prosecution said.
Should they be convicted, each of the men (5 of whom are cousins) could face a maximum of 12 years in prison.
