Hologram of murdered sex worker Betty attracts attention, new clues

The use of a hologram in Amsterdam to solve an old murder of a sex worker from 15 years ago attracted a lot of attention on Saturday, according to a police spokesperson. In addition, the hologram “provided several clues that the criminal investigation department can work on”.

The hologram was used in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Hungarian Bernadette “Betty” Szabó in February 2009. She was killed with dozens of stab wounds in the red light district. There, in one of Amsterdam's busiest squares, the hologram will be on display for a week from Saturday. This is because the police suspect that there are people who know more about her death.

The police spokesman noted on Saturday that many people lingered at the window behind which “Betty” could be seen. “People think it's good that we are drawing attention to the case in this way. We've also spoken to people in the neighborhood who remember Betty.” This is the first time that a hologram of a victim has been used in this way to draw attention to a murder case. “A lot of people have taken pictures of it,” he said.

The hologram inspired by the victim asks passers-by for help from a stool behind the window of a building in Korte Stormsteeg. On the windows are stickers with information about the murder and the victim. Inside the building, moving images of the victim and pictures of the crime scene can be seen. A documentary film is also shown. Before it was decided to develop the hologram, Betty’s relatives were contacted.

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 a.m. in her tendon room on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, in a large pool of blood. The brutal murder of the 19-year-old shocked the red light district at the time. Flowers were laid and dozens of people held a silent march.

This makes the police all the more eager to shed light on the case.“Although every murder case is of course sad, Betty's story has many poignant aspects. A young girl, only nineteen years old, who is torn from life in a terrible way. And she didn't have it easy before her death either. She worked long hours as a sex worker and continued to work until just before the birth of her son. That son was placed in a foster family and never had the chance to get to know his mother,” explains Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk of the Cold Case Team.

There are still many question marks surrounding the case, where the reward for the golden tip is 30,000 euros. “We would like to get in touch with the customers Betty received on the night of the murder. We also asked about this at the time, but nothing came of it. Apart from that, any information is welcome. We hope to complete the picture with the hologram Betty,” said the spokesman.