Overview Logo
Article Main Image

Timeline: This is how the police in the Netherlands came into focus on the suspect (22) of the murder of Lisa (17)

Friday, August 22


Alternative Takes

The World's Current Take


The 22-year-old man suspected of murdering Lisa (17) in the Netherlands is also named in two cases involving sexual violence. What do we know about these three crimes? A reconstruction.

Sunday, August 10: attempted sexual assault

Around 1:20 a.m., a woman was the victim of an attempted serious sexual assault near Kruislaan in Weesperzijde, a residential area in Amsterdam East. The suspect was disturbed and fled the scene.

The victim reported the incident to police on August 20, after police had launched an appeal for witnesses to the murder of 17-year-old Lisa more than a week later.

Friday, August 15: Woman becomes victim of sexual violence

Between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m., a woman is the victim of sexual assault, again on Weesperzijde. She is walking along the Amstel River when she is pulled off the path by an unknown man.

The woman is then beaten repeatedly and becomes the victim of serious sexual assault. The suspect flees towards the city center. The victim is taken to the hospital. Police are launching a large-scale investigation into the incident.

Monday, August 18: search notice

On August 18, the police issued the following search notice:"Detectives are looking for the suspect and witnesses to a serious sexual assault incident on Weesperzijde between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 14th and Friday, August 15th."

Police describe the suspect as a man in his 20s. He is said to have dark skin and be approximately 5'7" tall.

Wednesday, August 20: Lisa (17) is violently murdered

On Tuesday night, 17-year-old Lisa went out with friends in Amsterdam. Around 3:30 a.m., she cycled home to Abcoude, but was followed and attacked. She reported the incident to the police herself, from her bicycle.

Shortly after 4 a.m., officers discovered her body along the bank of the water on Holterbergweg in Duivendrecht. She had been killed in a violent manner. The coroner determined that she had sustained multiple stab wounds and cuts, including one to the neck.

At that time, the police also had no concrete evidence linking the murder to the sexual assault on August 15th. There were no indications of sexual assault in Lisa's murder.

Also on August 20: Woman reports attempted sexual abuse

That same day, police issued a new search notice. They were looking for"three specific road users" who might have seen Lisa during her bike ride, but were also asking other witnesses to come forward.

The call led to 200 tips and more than 500 hours of footage, which was extensively examined in the following days.

In response to the call, a woman also contacted the police. She reported an incident that occurred on August 10th. Initially, it appeared to be a street robbery, but later it turned out to be an attempted sexual assault.

The victim's statements contribute to the other two files from the area that the police are currently investigating.

Thursday, August 21: 22-year-old suspect arrested

Using CCTV footage—which has been studied for days—police have identified a suspect in the sexual abuse on August 15th. The suspect is a 22-year-old man of unknown residence. His nationality is unknown.

In the evening, the man is arrested at the asylum center where he is staying.

Around 4 p.m., the police announced that the evening before, a 22-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of the crimes on August 15 and 19.

During a press conference, authorities reported that there are also serious suspicions that he was involved in the attempted sexual abuse on August 10.

Get the full experience in the app

Scroll the Globe, Pick a Country, See their News

International stories that aren't found anywhere else.

Global News, Local Perspective

50 countries, 150 news sites, 500 articles a day.

Don’t Miss what Gets Missed

Explore international stories overlooked by American media.

Unfiltered, Uncensored, Unbiased

Articles are translated to English so you get a unique view into their world.

Apple App Store Badge