Police aim to solve 2009 sex worker murder with hologram

The Amsterdam police hope to solve an old murder of a sex worker from 15 years ago with the help of a hologram. The 19-year-old Hungarian Bernadett 'Betty' Szabó was killed with dozens of stab wounds in the Red Light District in February 2009. The police are again drawing attention to the case because they believe there are people who know more about her death.

“Betty was murdered in one of the busiest places in Amsterdam, perhaps even in the whole of the Netherlands,” says Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk of the Amsterdam Cold Case Team. “It is actually inevitable that there will be people who saw or heard something conspicuous at this time,” she adds.

From Saturday, the police will therefore be drawing attention to the case in the Red Light District for a week, in what she calls the “ultimate last attempt” to solve the murder. A hologram of the young victim will ask passers-by for help from a stool behind the window of a building in Korte Stormsteeg.

“We always try to give the victims a face in cases like this so that the whistleblowers know who they are doing something for,” said Benjamin van Gogh of the police. “With the hologram, we are going one step further.” Before developing the hologram, the victim's relatives were contacted.

The latest moving images of the victim and footage from the crime scene are also being shown on the premises. A documentary film will be shown, and large stickers with information about the murder and the victim have been placed on the windows. Posters have also been put up in the neighborhood and flyers are being distributed. The reward for the golden tip in this case has been increased to 30,000 euros.

The young woman started working as a sex worker in the Red Light District at the age of 18. During that time, she became pregnant but continued working. She also went back to work shortly after the birth of her son. Three months after giving birth, she was stabbed to death. Her colleagues found her on the night of February 19 to 20, shortly after 1:00 a.m. in her tendon room on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, in a large pool of blood.

The murder shocked the Red Light District. Flowers were laid, and dozens of people took part in a silent march. The police arrested a 46-year-old man but soon had to release him due to insufficient suspicion against him.