Amsterdam Police use graphical vision to solve the murder of a 19-year-old Hungarian prostitute, Bernadett “Betty” Szabó, and has 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 that may lead to the perpetrator of the tragic stabbing that shook the Netherlands in 2009.
Those who walk through 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 the waist and chest.
It is the image of a young woman named Bernadett who, from a window, asks passersby for “help” to solve his murder15 years after a crime that shocked not only the red-light district, but the entire country.
Amsterdam police revive homicide case with hologram of victim.
The young Hungarian was 18 years old when she arrived in Amsterdam in 2008 and she was forced to practice prostitution behind the windows of the Red Light District (De Wallen).
Betty got pregnantbut, he continued receiving clients until the moment of delivery. Her baby ended up in foster care and she returned to prostitution, but three months later she was murdered in her room behind the window.
Stabbed
Two of his colleagues noticed his absence that night of February 19, 2009: the music he normally played could not be heard, nor had he been seen leaving, 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.
The Police analyzed the crime scene, reviewed the cameras, and interviewed witnesses, without clear conclusions.
A 46-year-old man was arrested but he had to be released due to lack of evidence, while the Red Light District was filled with flowers and dozens of people participated in a silent march to denounce the murder and demand protection for sex workers.
Now, 15 years later, the Amsterdam Police want to do a last attempt so that the case does not remain unsolvedand has begun an intensive week-long campaign in search of new clues about what happened.
Information about the case has been published in different ways, the Red Light District has been filled with stickers with details about Betty and her death, there are screens showing images of the crime scene and the last video of her, and a documentary has been made.
But the main element is a life-size hologram inspired by Betty: Sitting on a stool, she interacts with passersby to ask for help.
“Doing this this way is unique and, to be honest, a little risky. Before deciding on the hologram, we consulted with various groups inside and outside the police, and also 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, something new for the Amsterdam police, although it may not be the last time they use it, if they manage to solve this traumatic case.
The team hopes Betty’s hologram will catch the attention and encourage people with information to contact policein exchange for a compensation of 30,000 euros for the clue that solves the enigma.
“Betty was murdered in one of the busiest areas of Amsterdam, perhaps in the entire Netherlands. It’s hard to believe that no one has seen or heard something strange. Someone might even have heard about the case somewhere else, since there are people from all over the world in De Wallen. “More than 15 years have passed, and we hope that those who may have been afraid before will now dare to speak out,” added Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk of the cold case team.
There are many unknowns surrounding the case, and investigators want to contact the clients Betty received on the night of the murder, something that was already attempted in the days after the crime, but no cooperation was achieved.
Now they hope to appeal to the feelings of those who can contribute their grain of sand to resolve the case.
“We believe that the hologram can create an emotional connection that compels someone to speak,” said Van Gogh. Solving this crime would mean “doing justice to Betty, her family and the case,” he admitted. The hologram will be visible until December 16. November.
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