The Minister of Justice is considering licensing pepper spray to protect women after Lisa's murder.
The interim Minister of Justice, David van Wyl, is considering the legal possibility of allowing women to carry pepper spray for self-defense in case they are attacked on the street. This came during the weekly question session in Parliament, where the case of the violent murder of 17-year-old Lisa, who was killed on August 20, was discussed.
Dirk Boswijk from the CDA party called for allowing the use of pepper spray, as is permitted in other European countries, pointing out that the streets need to become safer for girls and women, although he acknowledged that this will not happen overnight. He stated that there are women in his vicinity who already carry pepper spray despite the legal ban, because "there is currently no other alternative."
The current law regarding weapons and ammunition prohibits the use of pepper spray, but Van Wyl pointed out that he understands the desire of some women to have a means of self-defense as a last resort. He added that he would consider whether it is possible to allow this 'in a simple and quick way,' although he emphasized that this is not a long-term solution to the problem.
The parliamentary session witnessed a wave of anger over the murder of Lisa, who was stabbed to death in Duivendrecht while cycling home from central Amsterdam to her home in Abcoude. Songül Mutlu from the GroenLinks-PvdA party commented: "Almost every week a woman is killed, and this summer, it has happened several times a week. These are the tragic points of a larger problem.
A number of MPs have suggested that a single minister should be responsible for addressing issues of violence against women, with the authority to intervene. Lawrence Dassen from the Volt party also called for more attention to be given to social behavior in education.