Dutch court jails man for rape of 98-year-old woman

A Dutch court on Friday sentenced a man to six years in prison for the rape of a 98-year-old woman.

The court in Lelystad near Amsterdam called the crime particularly "shocking" and went beyond the five years required by the public prosecutor's office in determining the sentence.

The 35-year-old defendant from France has a long criminal record there, including of domestic violence, reported the Dutch news agency ANP.

The prosecution said the man rang his elderly victim's doorbell one night in May. When she opened the door a crack he pushed her into the apartment and demanded money, before repeatedly raping her.

During the trial the defendant claimed the 98-year-old victim, who had to undergo trauma treatment following the attack, had "participated voluntarily," ANP said.

The court rejected this as implausible.