The Dutch prosecution office is demanding a five-year sentence for a 21-year-old woman from Ede who repeatedly robbed elderly people by pretending to be a care worker, local broadcaster RVTU reports.

The prosecutor said an elevated sentence was in order because of the gravity of the offences, which took place between September 2019 and January 2020 in Utrecht, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel and Eindhoven.

Laura D preyed on vulnerable elderly after having observed them for some time and then doorstepped them. Once she gained entrance she went on to persuade them to part with their pin codes, rob their bank cards and empty their accounts.

In some cases she pretended to be a care worker and even drew blood, which is an infringement of their physical integrity, the OM said.

The woman was helped on two occasions by 23-year-old Dragan N from De Meern for whom the prosecution office demanded a sentence of 15 months. A third accomplice has not yet been arrested.

Both suspects deny all charges and said they did not recognise themselves in the surveillance video evidence, prompting the prosecutor to point out that Laura D was wearing the same shoes in court as in the footage.

Both Laura D and Dragan N have extensive records for theft, the court was told.