More than 25 years after the brutal assault of an 11-year-old girl in Bøtø on Falster, a 57-year-old man has been charged in connection with the crime. The prosecution announced the indictment on Friday.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Bøtø Strand on August 4, 1999, where the girl was raped, and the prosecution alleges that the accused also attempted to kill her.

DNA evidence and new kinship search capabilities led to the breakthrough in the long-dormant case, allowing it to proceed to court after decades. South Zealand and Lolland-Falster Police announced the investigative advancement in December of last year.

The suspect, a local man, was arrested and has remained in custody since, as the court deemed the suspicion against him justified. The 57-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A jury trial will be held at the Court in Nykøbing Falster to adjudicate the case.

Special Prosecutor Susanne Bluhm stated in a press release that the court holds the responsibility for the final decision. “When we bring charges, it is because we assess that we have sufficient evidence overall that the defendant is the perpetrator of the serious crimes against the 11-year-old girl,” she said.

Kinship searching has proven instrumental in resolving other cold cases as well. The investigation led authorities to the local man because his child’s DNA was in the police’s database. During the court hearing following his arrest, the man, described as gray-bearded, used a cane. Authorities allege that on the day of the attack in 1999, he threatened the girl with a pistol-like object and forced her towards a forest, strangling her to the point of unconsciousness.

The 1999 incident garnered significant media attention, and the police even created a phantom drawing as part of their investigation. Bent Jørgensen, the head of the original investigation, was present when the arrested man appeared before a judge. He told reporters last winter that he was surprised by how lifelike the old drawing was. The striking resemblance between the drawing and the man was a key factor in the judge’s decision to keep him in custody.

Other evidence supporting the charges includes old photographs and DNA traces found on material recovered from the victim.