The suspect denies committing any crime, according to the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper.

Police in Trollhättan have uncovered forensic evidence pointing to the 18-year-old, who has previously been involved in criminal activities, reports Göteborgs-Posten (GP).

“We are convinced that we’ve got the right man,” Thord Haraldsson of the Trollhättan police said at a Tuesday press conference, according to GP.

Police refused to comment at the press conference on whether or not the girl had been sexually abused during her mysterious disappearance.

The police were also tight lipped about what exactly led them to arrest the 18-year-old.

“It’s pure luck that the girl survived; she was close to death,” said Haraldsson to GP.

The attempted strangling took place in the early evening of Sunday, July 12th when the 8-year-old and her two siblings were visiting close family friends.

The children from both families were outside playing in a wooded area near a housing development north of central Trollhättan.

The 8-year-old girl and one of the other children got into a dispute over a bicycle, after which the 8-year-old went her own way, while the other girl went home for dinner.

When the 8-year-old girl didn’t return with the other children, the families began to worry.

A short time later, one of the other children found the girl near a path, beaten and badly injured.

She was also missing some of her clothes, which were later found in the woods nearby.

Authorities believe the girl was likely unconscious during the attack, which has first classified as an assault. Following an examination of the girl by doctors, however, police reclassified the crime as attempted murder.