The man behind a series of sexual assaults on young girls on the island of Funen has been found. 

 

Police arrested a 40-year-old earlier this week when a chemical fire broke out in Odense. The man was arrested for the chemicals and was found to have neck warmers and cable ties in his possession, both of which were also used in the sexual assaults that have had the island on edge since last autumn. 

 

"When we discovered the strips and neck warmers, we made a connection to the [sexual assault] cases, where those were also used," Henrik Justesen of Fyens Politi told public broadcaster DR. "We requested a mouth swab of the man, which was carried out on Wednesday. Today we got the results and the man's DNA matches the DNA profile found on the girls."

 

Justesen told DR that the man in custody has admitted that he carried out the sex assaults. The man is in police custody and proceedings against him are being carried out behind 'double-locked doors', which means that the press and the public will not have access to more information. 

 

After the November assaults against two young girls on Funen, a nationwide manhunt was carried out to find the perpetrator. Although authorities received hundreds of tips, it was not until this week's chemical fire incident that police had their breakthrough in the case. 

 

The first assault took place in southern Funen on October 26 when an 11-year-old girl was forced into the back of a car, sexually assaulted and later released. The second victim, a 10-year-old girl, was abducted and attacked in a similar manner on November 15.