AMSTERDAM has turned orange in grief after the brutal murder of 17-year-old Lisa – allegedly at the hands of a migrant already facing charges of rape and assault claims.
The teen from Abcoude was cycling home last Wednesday from a night out in the capital when she rang police to say she was being followed.
EPACrowds gather in Abcoude to mourn the death of Dutch teen Lisa[/caption]
EPAA minute’s silence was held as family and loved ones remembered the 17-year-old[/caption]
EPAThe facade of the Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre) is illuminated orange to raise awareness of violence against women and girls in Amsterdam[/caption]
Officers reportedly listened helplessly to her final moments as she was ambushed and fatally stabbed before the line went dead.
Patrols raced to the scene but arrived too late, finding Lisa’s lifeless body in a ditch near Holterbergweg around 4am.
Forensic experts reportedly found multiple stab wounds to her neck and body.
Lisa’s devastated parents and relatives joined hundreds of villagers in Abcoude for a minute’s silence at the town’s annual festival week on Tuesday evening.
A spokesperson for victims’ services organisation Namens de Familie said: “Lisa’s family was there and was deeply moved.
“They feel supported and moved by the tremendous involvement of the entire village.”
A large torch burned outside café-restaurant De Eendracht as church bells tolled and residents wiped away tears.
Mayor Maarten Divendal said: “Of course, we also discussed cancelling the festive week, but that’s not the solution if you want to create a gathering and offer that opportunity.”
The killing has sparked nationwide outrage, with tributes, marches and Ajax football fans holding a minute’s silence at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said: “This is every woman’s greatest fear.
“Enjoying freedom should be possible without fear. Safety is not a given.”
Thousands joined a “reclaim the night” march demanding safer streets for women, while buildings across Amsterdam were lit up orange in Lisa’s memory.
Lisa, who had just graduated and was an avid Ajax supporter, chose to cycle home because she didn’t want to leave her expensive electric bike behind.
Her family previously released a statement, saying: “Our hearts are broken. We hope we can mourn Lisa’s loss together in peace and privacy.”
The main suspect – a 22-year-old asylum seeker reportedly of Nigerian descent – was arrested days earlier over an alleged rape on Weesperzijde and another assault on August 10.
Yet he was back on the streets before Lisa’s tragic death.
EPALisa’s murder sparked outrage and concern over safety at an asylum reception site[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialThe Chicago Social Club is lit with orange messages in memory of 17-year-old Lisa[/caption]
Chilling CCTV footage appears to show him prowling the area less than an hour before the teen was killed.
Police are still appealing for witnesses, including a scooter rider, the occupants of a light-coloured van and a driver of a Biro microcar.
But prosecutors admit they don’t even know the man’s true identity.
According to BN DeStem, officials only “suspect” he is 22.
Legal experts warn that asylum seekers without papers often enter procedures with unverifiable names, ages or nationalities — leaving authorities unsure “who they’re dealing with,” BN DeStem reports.
The suspect had been staying at the A&O Hostel in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, an asylum reception site branded unsafe by its own residents.
Women told Het Parool the shelter was rife with drugs, theft and intimidation, with little security.
“The police are always here,” said one mother, who claimed drug dealing was carried out openly.
Another resident added: “So many people here are criminals. They really need to do something about it.”
The Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) insists every resident is registered and monitored, but admits supervision has been patchy.
“It’s not a prison, but sheltered housing,” a spokesperson said.
Politie NICops released chilling CCTV of the asylum seeker prowling the area before Lisa’s death[/caption]
EPAPeople pay their respects and put flowers and tributes at an improvised memorial for 17-year-old Lisa from Abcoude, at Holterbergweg, where she was found dead[/caption]
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