Amsterdam Police: Killer stabbed Lisa, 17, several times; Suspect tied to two sex crimes
The 17-year-old girl who was killed while biking home from Amsterdam early Wednesday morning was stabbed and slashed several times, including at the neck, police confirmed during a press conference held on Friday. The suspect arrested in the case, a 22-year-old man seeking asylum in the Netherlands, was tied to a violent sexual assault on Weesperzijde on August 15, and also an attempted sexual assault near that same location five days earlier. The latter incident was disclosed publicly for the first time during the news conference.
The suspect will face a primary charge of murder for the death of the teen, and a primary charge of rape for the incident a week ago, said Amsterdam Head Prosecutor René de Beukelaer, who was sitting alongside Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema. It is not yet clear what charge he will face for the other incident, which was initially investigated as an attempted robbery. In any case, Halsema pointed out the shocking level of violence that the three women faced, and other victims were urged to come forward.
Investigators were unwilling to release more information about the suspect, such as his nationality, or the amount of time he has been present in the Netherlands. "He was only just arrested. We need to verify whether the identity he provided is accurate," said Amsterdam-Amstelland Police Chief Peter Holla. De Beukelaer noted that it was unusual to organize a press conference this early in an investigation, but it was necessary to calm the public's nerves.
Lisa's body found with "several stab wounds and slashes"
The death of the girl, Lisa, took place during the early morning hours on Wednesday. Afraid her electric bike would be stolen from the city's Leidseplein district, Lisa said goodbye to her friends at about 3:30 a.m. and started the 16-kilometer ride to her home in Abcoude, a village in De Ronde Venen, Utrecht. The route potentially took the girl past Weesperzijde in Amsterdam-Oost, the area where the earlier incidents took place.
She called police herself to say she had been attacked, the police chief reiterated. Officers responded quickly to the Holterbergweg, a road connecting Amsterdam-Oost and Abcoude, where they found her dead body in a ditch. Investigators did not find evidence to indicate she was the victim of sex crime, police said.
"It turned out that she was killed with significant violence, and several stab wounds and slashes were found at the neck," Holla said. He would not state if the murder weapon was recovered, but a specially-trained police dog and handler were seen aiding the investigation near the crime scene this week.
Further searches were being carried out at the center for asylum seekers. Holla refused to identify that location to help preserve the investigation, but police have indicated it is a facility run by COA, the national agency responsible for housing people seeking asylum.
Links found with earlier sexually-violent crimes
"Due to the serious violence against several women, an investigation has been conducted into links between the crimes," said De Breukelaer. Police previously indicated that the August 15 incident happened at 12:30 a.m. The woman was walking along the waterfront on the Weesperzijde in Amsterdam-Oost, a residential area marked by several cafés.
It was there where she was grabbed and beaten up, police said. The suspect then sexually assaulted the victim. She was later treated for her injuries in an area hospital.
"Both investigations are still ongoing, but on the basis of the results of the investigations, we strongly believe that it concerns the same suspect," said De Beukelaer. "We think the arrested suspect was also involved in a third incident that took place on August 10 of this year. It concerns an attempted sexual offense," he stated.
Initial hearing slated for Monday
That case was first thought to be an attempted robbery. She was contacted by police on Thursday, and then decided to press charges in the attack, officials said. That case remains under investigation.
The suspect is currently being held in restricted custody, and is thus only allowed to have contact with his attorney. He will be brought before an examining magistrate on Monday for an initial hearing, at which point he can be remanded to jail for up to two weeks while the investigation continues.
Mayor reeling from the brutality the women faced
"Our thoughts are with Lisa's family and friends," said Halsema. "It's terrible and unforgivable. She had the world at her feet, but her loved ones will no longer be able to witness Lisa chasing her dreams," she said of the recent graduate of Amsterdam secondary school Spinoza20First.
"Our thoughts are also with the victim of the significantly violent sexual attack on the Weesperzijde. With love and compassion, she must be allowed to rest and recover from this gruesome crime," the mayor continued. She also expressed concern for the victim of the attempted assault.
"As mayor, but also as a woman and mother, I felt a chill run through my heart this past week," Halsema said. "But also intense anger and helplessness, she continued.
"This is the greatest fear of every woman and every parent. It is a nightmare that has come true. Now, thousands of women are rightly demanding to take back the night, bike to school, go out, and enjoy life and be free in the city without fear," Halsema said passionately.
"What should be self-evident, the safety of women and girls, is not self-evident. And this casts a pall on our society."
