Amsterdam police use graphic vision to solve the murder of a 19-year-old Hungarian prostitute, Bernadett “Betty” Szabó, and installed a hologram of the victim in the red light district, which will be active all this week, in an attempt to get new leads this could lead to the perpetrator of the tragic stabbing attack that shook the Netherlands in 2009.
Those walking around the red light district this week will find an unusual image: a hologram of a blonde woman in shorts, a black printed bra and a large dragon tattooed between her waist and chest.
It is the image of a young woman named Bernadett who, from a window, asks passers-by for “help” in solving his murder15 years after a crime that shocked not only the red light district, but the entire country.
Amsterdam police relaunch a homicide case with a hologram of the victim.
The young Hungarian was 18 when she arrived in Amsterdam in 2008 and she was forced into prostitution behind the windows of the Red Light District (De Wallen).
Betty got pregnantbut he continued to receive customers until the time of delivery. Her baby was placed in foster care and she returned to prostitution, but three months later she was murdered in her bedroom behind the window.
Stabbed
Two of his colleagues noticed his absence that night of February 19, 2009: we couldn’t hear the music he usually played and we didn’t see him coming out, but they assumed that, surely, “He had had a bad day or he had already gone home”they later testified.
After midnight and with no clients to attend to, they decided to browse Betty’s room: The young woman was dead, stabbed and in the middle of a large pool of blood.
Police analyzed the crime scene, examined cameras and interviewed witnesses, without drawing any clear conclusions.
A 46-year-old man was arrested but he had to be released for lack of evidence, while the red light district was filled with flowers and dozens of people took part in a silent march to denounce the murder and demand protection for sex workers.
Today, 15 years later, the Amsterdam police want to one last attempt so that the matter does not remain unsolvedand launched an intensive week-long campaign searching for new clues about what happened.
Information about the case was released in different ways, the red light district was filled with stickers with details about Betty and her death, screens showed images of the crime scene and the last video of her, and a documentary was made. .
But the main element is a life-size hologram inspired by Betty: Sitting on a stool, she interacts with passers-by to ask for help.
“Doing it this way is unique and, to be honest, a bit risky. Before deciding on the hologram, we consulted with different groups inside and outside the police force, as well as the family, to do it in the most respectful way possible.” , explains Benjamin van Gogh, spokesperson for the research team.
Hologram and compensation
This visualization was created using 3D techniques, a new development for the Amsterdam police, although it may not be the last time they use it, if they can solve this traumatic case .
The team hopes that Betty’s hologram will attract attention and encourage people with information to contact policein exchange for compensation of 30,000 euros for the clue that solves the riddle.
“Betty was murdered in one of the busiest neighborhoods in Amsterdam, perhaps in all of the Netherlands. It’s hard to believe no one saw or heard anything strange. Someone might have heard about the affair elsewhere, because there are people from all over the world in De Wallen. “More than 15 years have passed and we hope that those who were afraid before will now dare to speak out,” added Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk, from the Cold Case team.
There are many unknowns surrounding this matter, and the investigators want to contact the customers that Betty received the night of the murder, which was already attempted in the days following the crime, but no cooperation was obtained.
They now hope to appeal to the feelings of those who can contribute their grain of sand to solving the case.
“We believe the hologram can create an emotional connection that inspires someone to speak,” Van Gogh said. Solving the crime would mean “bringing justice to Betty, her family and the case,” he admitted. 16. November.
