Funeral for Savannah Dekker, 14, to be held next week

A funeral for Savannah Dekker will be held in her hometown of Bunschoten on Wednesday next week. The memorial service is open to anyone who wants to attend, after which the 14-year-old girl will be buried in the presence of just her family and friends, according to the funeral card placed online at the request of her family.

The memorial service will be held at the Advent Church in Bunschoten at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Should there be too little space in the Advent Church, the service will be moved to the larger Zuider Church. "Savannah liked colorful flowers and come as you are", the card reads.

After the service, Savannah's family and friends will accompany her to the Memento Mori cemetery in Bunschoten, where she will be laid to rest.

A silent march will be held for Savannah in her hometown tonight. Her school and the funeral home opened online condolence registries for the 14-year-old girl. 

Savannah went missing after leaving her home to meet classmates on Thursday last week. Her body was found in a watery ditch on industrial terrain De Kronkels in Bunschoten on Sunday. She was killed in a crime, the police concluded. A 16-year-old boy from Den Bosch was arrested in connection with her death. He will be arraigned on Thursday. The magistrate will decide whether he will stay in custody. According to Bunschoten mayor Melis van de Groep, Savannah met the teenager online. 

So far the police could not say how long Savannah was in the water before her body was found. The date of death stated on the funeral card is June 1st, the day she went missing.