Dutch Women Feel Unsafe on the Streets at Night, Survey Finds
A year after the murder of 17-year-old Lisa by an African migrant, new research suggests awareness has grown but young women’s sense of safety has barely changed.
People walk on docks at night in the red quarter in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on November 24, 2021.
SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
A year after the murder of 17-year-old Lisa by an African migrant, new research suggests awareness has grown but young women’s sense of safety has barely changed.
He has confessed to all three attacks and is awaiting trial.
Her death prompted the “We Reclaim the Night” campaign, which raised more than €500,000 within days, and inspired night-time marches and cycling demonstrations across the Netherlands.
It also triggered a wider political debate over immigration, policing, and the safety of women in public spaces.
Fans at football matches protested against asylum centres and displayed banners rejecting immigration.
The new research suggests that awareness has increased, even if women’s experiences have changed little.
Some 68% of young people said they were more concerned about women’s safety than a year ago.
Nearly half said they were more likely to message friends to check they had arrived home safely, while 39% said they were more careful to ensure nobody travelled home alone at night.
But young women continue to take extensive precautions themselves.
Some 86% said they take measures to increase their safety when going out after dark. These include sharing their live location, staying on the phone with someone, and choosing better-lit routes.
Nearly three-quarters said they carry a bunch of keys in their hand, while 23% carry pepper spray.
A separate survey of more than 21,000 people found that 59% believed unsafe places in their municipality had not been addressed during the past year. Among young women, 54% said they had hoped for action but had seen none.
Respondents most commonly called for greater enforcement and tougher penalties. Young women also favoured practical measures such as better street lighting, cutting back bushes, and CCTV.
While many Dutch commentators have blamed men in general and “misogyny” for the death of Lisa, the number of sexual assaults has risen in conjunction with the arrival of millions of African and Asian migrants to the cities of Western Europe.
Zoltán Kottász is a journalist for europeanconservative.com, based in Budapest. He worked for many years as a journalist and as the editor of the foreign desk at the Hungarian daily, Magyar Nemzet. He focuses primarily on European politics.
