Posted by The murder has shined a light of debates around women’s safety and immigration
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.
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.
Who Watches the Watchers? 