Police release last footage of Katwijk woman, missing 3 weeks

The police released the last known surveillance camera footage of Anja Schaap on Opsporing Verzocht on Tuesday night. The 33-year-old woman disappeared in Katwijk on May 29th. Her handbag was found two days later, but it is still not clear what happened to her. The police hope that the footage will prompt more witnesses to come forward.

On Tuesday evening, May 28th, Anja had drinks with a family member at cafe Den Blauwen Bock on Badstraat in Katwijk. The footage show her arriving, exchanging friendly words with the staff and having a drink with her family member. At around 1:50 a.m., she said goodbye and left the cafe on foot.

She was then filmed by various surveillance cameras throughout Katwijk. At 2:00 a.m. she was filmed walking towards Tramstraat. A few minutes later, 2:04 a.m., a surveillance camera on Binnensluis filmed her. Around half an hour later, she was on Melkweg. At 2:40 a.m. she was filmed by a surveillance camera at cafeteria Family on Melkweg. She tried to open the door, but the cafeteria was already closed and she turned around and walked away. Near this cafeteria, around 400 meters away, Anja's handbag was found in the water along Melkweg on May 31st. 

That is the last footage the police have which they are sure show Anja. Though the police showed two clips of surveillance camera that may show the missing woman. At around 3:40 a.m., a woman was filmed walking along De Heeren. The footage is not very clear, but based on clothing and posture, seems to show Anja. It is not clear whether she still had her handbag with her at this point. Ten minutes later, a person that may be Anja walked over Kanaaldijk towards Buitensluis.

The police think that Anja may have walked to a parking lot at the end of Kanaaldijk, where people can often be found at night. While the activities that go on at the parking lot at night may not be something you want the police to know about, the police urgently call on anyone who saw Anja there to come forward. "I want to urgently stress that we don't care about that. For us it is really about information that has to do with the disappearance of Anja Schaap", the police said. 

At around 6:10 a.m. a witness saw a woman walking on Melkweg, near Campingweg, from the direction of Hoorneslaan. Based on the description the witness gave, it may well have been Anja. But it could also have been another woman. If you were walking on Melkweg at around 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29th, the police ask that you contact them. 

Anja is around 1.65 meters tall with a slender posture and dark blond hair. On the day of her disappearance, she was wearing blue pants and a black leather jacket.