Amsterdam woman killed by boyfriend had over 40 knife wounds; Self-defense claimed
The 30-year-old woman found murdered in a home on Gerard Callenburgstraat in Amsterdam on February 1 was stabbed and slashed over 40 times, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) revealed during the first public hearing in the case on Wednesday. Her romantic partner at the time, Khalid A., admitted to the slaying, but said he killed the woman in self-defense. The victim had told police a few weeks earlier that the 32-year-man was threatening her.
When A. turned himself in at a police station he was drenched in blood, and said he had killed the victim, AT5 reported. The police discovered the woman dead in his home the same day at about 5 a.m. after following a trail of blood to his residence, which was also covered in blood.
A. also had several cuts, including a large one on his hand. He alleged that the woman attacked him with the knife during an argument and that he cut himself trying to take the knife away from her. He then inflicted the fatal injuries, as his lawyer described it in court.
Police cordoned off the area and sent a mobile command unit to supervise the initial investigation at the home in the Bos en Lommer neighborhood. Forensic teams examined the grizzly scene and collected trace evidence, while officers searched for witnesses.
On January 9, about three weeks before the crime, she contacted the police to ask for help, alleging she was being threatened by the suspect. The two had been together for a few months, but their relationship had turned “grim” for a while, the lawyer representing the woman’s surviving family and loved ones said.
The court remanded A. into custody this week for another 90 days of pre-trial detention. The next status hearing is scheduled for August 6, when judges at the district court have the option to further extend his incarceration.
