Abductors threaten to set teen boy, 17, on fire in Amsterdamse Bos

Three young men abducted a teenager in Amsterdam on Sunday and took him to the Amsterdamse Bos where they forced him to strip, beat him up, and threatened to set him on fire, the police said on Thursday. Three suspects are in custody. The police are looking for witnesses.

The abduction happened at around 8:30 p.m. on December 1 near a supermarket on Rijnstraat. The 17-year-old victim shouted for help as three men forced him into a black three-door car and drove him to the Amsterdamse Bos, a forested area between Amsterdam and Almere.

There, the perpetrators forced the boy to undress and assaulted him. They doused him with a liquid and threatened to set him on fire if he did not give them money. According to the police, the perpetrators filmed this.

The police did not say how long the boy was threatened and abused in the forest or how he got away. He did press charges.

The police arrested three suspects – two 19-year-olds and an 18-year-old, all from Amsterdam.

“The investigation into the circumstances and background of this case is in full swing,” the police said. Investigators are looking to get in touch with witnesses, specifically anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Sunday around Rijnstraat in Amsterdam or the Amsterdamse Bos, near the parking lot on Duizendmeterweg.

The police are also looking for any camera footage, such as from a dash cam, surveillance camera, or doorbell camera, that might be relevant. “Your information may be of great importance to the investigation,” the police said.