The death of a Dutch teenage girl has sparked outrage in the Netherlands and Belgium over violence against women.
The victim was identified as 17-year-old Lisa, who was killed while biking home after a night out with her friends. Now, many online users are sharing a post by Dutch actress and author Nienke Gravemade, where she says women have the right to feel safe and move freely at night.
Teenage Dutch Girl Killed While Going Home
The incident involved Lisa, who on Wednesday left the center of Amsterdam at around 3:30 a.m. after having fun with friends. She was cycling back to the nearby town of Abcoude before noticing that someone was following her and called the national emergency number.
Police were later able to locate the teenager using her phone, but it was too late. When the dispatched team arrived at the scene at around 4:15 a.m., they only found Lisa's lifeless body by the side of the road in Duivendrecht, according to Euro News.
Dutch police announced on Friday afternoon that they had identified a suspect in Lisa's case amid an official investigation. The individual, a 22-year-old man, was arrested on Thursday night on suspicion of involvement in a serious sexual offense in Weesperzijde, which is a neighborhood located in Amsterdam.
Lisa's death reignited the debate regarding the damaging effects of "victim blaming," such as comments like "Why didn't she just take a taxi with her friends?" and "Was it really smart to get on her bike alone?"
In her post, Gravemade highlighted some of the most common remarks that women usually hear when the public is shifting the blame of an incident to them and not the perpetrator, Yahoo News reported.
Sparking Outrage Over Violence Against Women
The 22-year-old who was arrested in relation to Lisa's death is a resident at COA asylum center in the capital of the region. He was also linked to another assault on a woman in Amsterdam on Aug. 10.
Head of police Peter Holla said that the incident was originally believed to have been an attempted robbery. However, police now assume a sexual motive in the case. The Ouder-Amstel mayor, Susanne de Roy, and Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema are urging anyone who witnessed the attack on the teenage girl to come forward and provide information.
The head of public prosecution, Rene de Beukelaer, said that they believe the suspect in Lisa's case was also involved in a third incident of attempted sexual assault, as per the Dutch News.
