THE streets of Amsterdam, typically alive with bustling cyclists and vibrant energy, are now shrouded in grief and rage after the brutal murder of a 17-year-old girl.
Named publicly only as Lisa, the teen was stabbed to death as she rode home on her electric bike in the early hours of August 20.
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The horrific crime has ignited a firestorm across the Netherlands and a fierce debate over migration policies is once again tearing through the nation.
Much like in the UK, the debate around migration has become a major political issue, with anti-migrant parties surging in the 2023 election and firebrand Geert Wilders’ PVV leading in the polls.
The snap election coming in October was triggered by Wilders pulling out of the coalition government in a row over asylum seekers.
And the violent, shocking killing of young Lisa has only further fanned the flames around the Netherlands’ migration policies.
Lisa, a recent high school graduate from the city, was cycling home from a night out with friends.
At 3.30am, she sensed danger. In a desperate call to emergency line 112, she said that she was being followed.
Insiders told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that police heard her final, harrowing moments as the attack unfolded.
By the time officers arrived at 4.15am, Lisa’s lifeless body lay in a ditch near the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Her red handbag, hanging from her bike’s handlebars, became a haunting symbol of a life cut short, immortalised in a poem by Dutch actress Nienke Gravemade: “I claim the night. I claim the streets. I demand that the fear be lifted.”
It soon became part of the fiery “Reclaim the Night” campaign – demanding safe streets for women and an end to the violence that stole Lisa’s life.
Amsterdam’s sports clubs and other groups rallied behind the cause, splashing the poem’s powerful lines across billboards and protests.
Ajax fans, honoring loyal supporter Lisa, held up banners reading “Dear Lisa, brave warrior” and applauded in the 17th minute of a match at the Johan Cruijff Arena that took place on Sunday.
The scene where she died is now a sombre shrine of flowers, stuffed animals, candles and handwritten notes.
The grief is palpable, but so is the anger after it emerged that the suspect is a 22-year-old asylum seeker.
He was allegedly staying illegally at a nearby COA asylum centre – sparking a torrent of frustration over safety and migration.
Migration has long been the source of fury and political debate in the Netherlands – with the figures rising from a net loss of 6,000 people in 2007, up to an increase of 224,000 in 2022.
Figures have since declined with 145,000 in 2023, and 121,00 in 2024.
Amsterdam’s residents are reeling, with their trust in the city’s safety shattered.
Hans Broer, 64, a civil contractor working near the crime scene, recalls the chilling aftermath as he gazes at the spot on the cycling path where police dogs sniffed out Lisa’s hoodie, visibly moved.
They’ve slapped up cameras now, but it’s far too late. Just a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. This part of the road always felt unsafe. And we need much tougher screening for asylum seekers
Natascha Atmadinata
He tells The Sun: “I saw those dogs find her hoodie right there. The hairs on my neck stood up. I’ve got a granddaughter her age, 16.
“This could’ve been her. Some cultures don’t see women the way we do.”
His words reflect a growing sentiment among locals, many of whom are pointing fingers at lax migration policies.
Annette van Santen, 73, a passerby gently laying flowers at the spot Lisa was found, agrees.
She said: “My friend said, ‘Oh no, this will spark the asylum debate again,’ but I say good. We need to talk about it.
“Billboards about women’s safety are fine, but they’re in Dutch only, that’s not enough.
“They need to be there in Arabic and other languages.”
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Mieke, 50, who stopped by the crime scene after work, shares her fears as a mother: “I tell my nineteen year old daughter never to cycle alone.
“Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world, psychopaths are out there.
“Men need to be held accountable, starting with the little things, like crude remarks.”
Natascha Atmadinata, 45, who regularly cycles, is livid about belated safety measures.
“They’ve slapped up cameras now, but it’s far too late,” she says.
“Just a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. This part of the road always felt unsafe. And we need much tougher screening for asylum seekers.
“Are they genuine refugees? Will they contribute to our society? Also there should be mandatory psychological evaluations.”
If you import chaos, you need strong laws and enforcement to control it… we need better ways to protect ourselves here. The government isn’t there for us
Angé
Her anger is personal.
She said: “My father was a GP. He quit early after having a knife held to his throat twice by immigrants in the area.
“He couldn’t even feel safe in his own office. This city’s changed, and Lisa’s murder proves it once again.”
Angé, 45, shakes as she shares how his daughter Elyn, 8, heard about Lisa’s murder from a classmate, Lisa’s second cousin.
“I try to protect her from this kind of stories, but this was too close to home,” he says.
“I understand the public’s fear. My wife and daughter were once stalked into a supermarket. He only backed off when he saw me approach.”
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As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, Angé says he has been flooded with requests for self-defence classes.
“It shouldn’t take a tragedy to spark this urgency,” he said.
He points to the numbers, adding: “If you import chaos, you need strong laws and enforcement to control it.
“In some US states, you can shoot an intruder on your property, no questions asked.
“That may be going too far, but we need better ways to protect ourselves here. The government isn’t there for us.”
Angé’s frustration echoes the fears of many.
Locals like Wilma Kleys, 78, have pointed fingers at what they see as flaws in the system.
We’re letting people into our country with no clue who they are or what crimes they’ve got in their past. How many of these walking time bombs are roaming our streets now?
Wilma Kleys
She said: “I would not say send all of them back, but at least seventy percent… close those centres.
“They come for safety, but make it unsafe here. I’ve read that seven out of ten asylum seekers arrive without papers.
“We’re letting people into our country with no clue who they are or what crimes they’ve got in their past. How many of these walking time bombs are roaming our streets now?”
Jeroen, 51, has called for change while wrestling with the same fears.
“My stomach churns at the thought of Lisa’s final moments,” he said.
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“It makes me sick imagining what that girl went through. I’ve got a 12-year-old daughter, and I’m teaching her Krav Maga techniques I know.
“I’m not worried about losing our national identity… but this guy was here illegally.
“We need more prevention and education in asylum centres.”
Community in mourning
A heavy silence hangs over the church square in Abcoude, Lisa’s hometown, where locals and passersby pay their respects.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Sylvia, 68, laying a bouquet by the roadside near Abcoude’s church, said.
“This is our community’s darkest hour. The festival is a shadow of itself. Some of my friends won’t even go at all.”
Abcoude’s annual festival has been the town’s most beloved event for more than five centuries – kicking off every last Thursday in August.
This year, the event is stripped to its bare bones.
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A sign at the door of local cafe “De Eendracht” reads: “Due to the great sorrow over Lisa.”
A funfair worker described the family’s presence at a tribute: “Her parents were there, and it gave me goosebumps.
“This community is so tight-knit, it’s my favourite spot to stand at, but this year it is not the same, and I doubt it will be in the coming years.”
Lisa’s family, left grappling with unimaginable pain, shared their heartbreak only through a spokesperson: “Our hearts are broken. Lisa’s loss is incomprehensible, bringing intense grief.
“We’re relieved a suspect is in custody, but our focus is saying goodbye to Lisa in peace.”
They’ve requested privacy, asking that her surname and photos stay out of the press.
Police are in overdrive, combing through 500 hours of CCTV and 200 tips.
Our hearts are broken. Lisa’s loss is incomprehensible, bringing intense grief.
Lisa’s family
A knife and phone were found in the water behind the COA asylum center on Hogehilweg, where the suspect was found.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, visibly shaken, branded during a press conference the string of attacks “a shameful stain on our society”.
She said: “As a woman and mother, my heart froze these past days. Every girl should enjoy freedom without fear.”
She announced better lighting on the Holterbergweg and more police patrols.
The 22-year-old suspect has been linked to a chilling string of crimes, Amsterdam police revealed in the same Friday press conference.
Alongside Lisa’s killing and a serious sexual assault at Weesperzijde on the night of August 14-15, the man is now accused of an attempted sexual attack on August 10 in the same area.
“He was interrupted and fled,” Police Chief Peter Holla told a stunned room, noting that Lisa’s murder came just five nights after the Weesperzijde assault.
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Holla and Prosecutor René de Beukelaer stayed tight-lipped about the suspect, who’s “in full restrictions,” meaning he can only speak to his lawyer.
While police don’t believe there are more incidents, they’re not ruling it out.
Police Chief Peter Holla confirmed Lisa’s body bore “multiple stab and slash wounds”.
Migration firestorm
The suspect’s status as an asylum seeker, allegedly staying illegally at the COA center, has poured fuel on an already heated migration debate.
Residents of the Amsterdam-Zuidoost center told Dutch paper “Het Parool”: “There’s crime here, drugs, violence. The COA does nothing. No cameras, no safety, especially for kids among these bad men.”
Far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose PVV party leads polls ahead of October 29 elections, said: “Every day more misery. Murder, rape, violence.
“The PVV wants a total stop to asylum and all criminal scum out.”
Annabel Nanninga, a conservative politician and leader of JA21 in the Dutch Senate, spoke out in a TV interview regarding the argument that “white men commit crimes too”.
She said: “Yes, that’s true, but it doesn’t change the fact that importing large groups of young men with hostile attitudes toward women is making our streets less safe.
“Downplaying this connection is criminal and utterly insane.”
Importing large groups of young men with hostile attitudes toward women is making our streets less safe
Annabel Nanninga
Her remarks have sparked intense discussion, amplifying public anger over Lisa’s death and fuelling scrutiny of migrant-related crime.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s streets pulse with anger and action.
The “Reclaim the Night” campaign has raised over €500,000 to splash digital billboards across highways, train stations, and city centres with slogans like “Let women get home safely.”
Led by 29-year-old Danique de Jong, the campaign has transformed landmarks into fiery orange tributes, the UN’s colour symbolising a future free from violence against women and girls.
Pubs and clubs flash “We reclaim the night” in their windows, while Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge and other Dutch landmarks glow in solidarity, demanding justice for Lisa and an end to the horrors that stole her life.
Cops blast ‘false claims’
As the outrage intensifies, a brief political misstep has sparked a small distraction from the fight for justice.
Amsterdam police slammed PVV leader Geert Wilders, who sparked outrage on Wednesday when he claimed the 22-year-old suspect was arrested for a sex crime just a week before her death and set free.
The force branded his claim “false,” accusing him of stirring “unnecessary unrest” among grieving families and a shaken public.
“His remarks undermine our investigation,” police said.
Faced with the error, Wilders retracted his statement, admitting it was “a mistake.”
“I thought I’d read it, but I checked, and it wasn’t true,” he said.
While Wilders’ misstep has drawn attention, it’s the deeper questions about crime and migration that are fueling heated debates in the Netherlands.
The suspect in Lisa’s murder has been linked to a rape and another attack – and he was in custody for the rape when he was arrested over the death of Lisa.
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Migrant ‘data gap’
Hard data on migrant crime is tricky to pin down.
In 2024, Amsterdam saw 20 homicides, double the previous year’s count. Nationwide, 133 murders were recorded.
A 2006 report noted 45 per cent of Amsterdam’s population is of “foreign origin,” but links to crime were vague.
Jan van de Beek, honorary research fellow at Buckingham University, cites in his book “Migrationmagnet The Nederlands” that men from typical asylum countries commit sexual offences four to twenty times more often than native Dutch men.
Non-Western men aged 12–45 are two to five times more likely to be suspects, he adds, even after accounting for nationality changes.
He says: “Since 2023, the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has been misleading the public with suspect statistics for sexual offences by reporting only on nationality, not migration background.
“In 2022, the old statistics show that 50 per cent of suspects have a migration background, while the new statistics (nationality) suggest 88 per cent are ‘Dutch,’ including naturalised citizens and second-generation immigrants.
“This obscures the impact of different origin groups. The CBS should publish both statistics.”
Van de Beek has previously been accused of scapegoating – and not factoring in other factors such as economic and educational elements in his analysis.
Professor Leo Lucassen said his analysis was “one-sided”, “polarising” and not looking at the “grey areas”, in an article published by Volkskrant.
As Amsterdam mourns, the murder of Lisa has exposed deep fault lines.
The Holterbergweg, once just a quiet cycle path, is now a symbol of a society grappling with safety, migration, and trust in its leaders.
With elections looming, the question isn’t just who killed Lisa, but whether the Netherlands can heal its wounds, or if anger will tear it further apart.
For now, the orange glow of solidarity lights up the city, but for many, it’s a flicker in a growing darkness.
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