Three months after the murder of 17-year-old Lisa in Amsterdam, authorities still cannot confirm the identity of the 22-year-old suspect. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) said the man has no documents to verify his identity. While he has self-identified, the claim has not yet been confirmed.
“The Public Prosecution Service is dependent on the civil status records of other countries,” a spokesperson told Nu.nl. Several requests for information, including to Nigeria, where the suspect claims to be from, are still pending.
The suspect will appear before the judge for the first time on November 25th during a preliminary hearing. “Someone can also be convicted without their identity being known,” the spokesperson added.
Lisa’s body was found on the night of August 19th–20th near Holterbergweg. She had been cycling home after spending the evening with friends in central Amsterdam. The suspect was arrested a day later at a COA asylum center.
Authorities say the man is not only accused of murder but also of two sexual offenses: rape and attempted sexual assault in the two weeks preceding Lisa’s death. Dutch police initially linked him to an attempted sexual assault on August 10th, previously believed to be a robbery. Chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer confirmed his arrest and residence at the COA center.
The case has sparked widespread concern over safety in Amsterdam. An AT5 survey shows that a large majority of women in Amsterdam stay away from certain parts of the city at night because they feel unsafe. Out of more than 2,100 residents polled, 85% of women and 70% of all respondents said there are places they deliberately avoid after dark.
