1,700 police staff looked into confidential files of murdered 17-year-old; Family upset

Approximately 1,700 police employees accessed information in internal systems about the violent death of 17-year-old Lisa from Abcoude without a valid reason. David van Weel of the VVD said he was briefed by the police chief after an inquiry by the National Internal Investigations Team. The justice minister called the conduct “unacceptable.”

In August 2025, the Netherlands was shaken by the murder of 17-year-old Lisa from Abcoude, who was fatally stabbed while cycling home alone from a night out in Amsterdam. The tragedy ignited a massive national debate on women's safety, leading to the #WijEisenDeNachtOp ("We Reclaim the Night") movement.

“First and foremost, for Lisa’s relatives, but also for trust in the integrity of the police organization. Everyone must be able to trust that the police handle information with care,” Van Weel wrote.

Lisa’s family described it as “deeply painful and almost incomprehensible. Police officers swear an oath or make a promise. From them, we expected integrity and the highest care,” the family said. “The possibility that curiosity or other motives led to unlawful access to highly confidential information is deeply upsetting. We trust the investigation will be thorough, await its findings, and hope this never happens again.”

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema described it as “incredibly painful for the victim’s family." In a written statement, she called it “very serious” that officers nationwide had gained access to such a sensitive and privacy-protected case without a valid reason. Halsema emphasized that access to such sensitive information “must be carefully controlled and safeguarded.”

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Amsterdam responded similarly. “Both the OM and the police hold large amounts of sensitive information. Employees must handle it responsibly and not misuse their position. Society must be able to trust that,” said an OM spokesperson.

Through their attorney, police have apologized to the victim’s family. The improper consultation of the files qualifies as a data leak, prompting authorities to inform the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

Each officer concerned will be summoned in writing for a discussion with their superior to clarify their reasons for looking up the case. Van Weel stated that disciplinary action will follow if the access is confirmed to have been improper, adding that the decision rests with the police chief.

In response to the incident, police management is assessing both the effectiveness of current information security and employees’ understanding of the rules for consulting internal systems. They are also considering whether further steps are required to improve data protection.

The 22-year-old man suspected of murdering 17-year-old Lisa, Chris Jude, told investigators that he “intentionally went to buy knives to kill someone,” the Public Prosecution Service announced during a court hearing on the status of the case. Jude is also suspected of violently raping a woman he grabbed on the street in Amsterdam, and attempting to rape another.

Jude had a knife with him when he started biking around Amsterdam. When Lisa cycled past on her way from Amsterdam’s city center before 4 a.m. on August 20, he said the voices in his head told him to kill her.

Lisa was run off the road on Holterbergweg in Duivendrecht during the early morning hours while she was biking to her home in Abcoude. “He stated that he had already tried to stab her,” according to the Public Prosecution Service. Both ended up in a ditch along the road. The suspect left because he thought the girl was going to drown.

It was previously reported that Lisa had called emergency services after the initial confrontation with the man. She was on the line with the dispatcher when the suspect returned to kill her. “He returned a little later because it turned out she was not dead yet and he had to kill her to get to heaven,” prosecutors said in a statement. He claimed to have stabbed the victim several times and stated that “he felt nothing but anger because he still did not go to heaven.”

By the time police arrived shortly thereafter, she had already died. The suspect was arrested a day later at the temporary residence for asylum seekers in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, where he was staying.