Chaos in the refugee shelter: residents blame COA for Lisa's death
Residents of a refugee center in the Zuidoost area of Amsterdam say that the 22-year-old man accused of killing Lisa (17) from Abcoude was not officially registered at the center. Instead, he was staying in a room of a friend or acquaintance. This information was revealed during a closed meeting organized by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), according to Het Parool.
The suspect, who allegedly stabbed Lisa multiple times while she was riding her bike early Wednesday morning, is also linked to two violent sexual crimes. He has been charged with raping a woman in Amsterdam-Oost on August 15, and attempting another sexual assault in the same area on August 10. He was arrested in a room on the fifth floor of the asylum center.
During the meeting, COA officials confirmed that the suspect did not have an official residence at the site. Journalists were not allowed to enter the building or the center's grounds, and residents were asked not to speak to the media.
Some asylum seekers expressed deep concern about the lack of security in the center housing around 850 people. One resident stated that the place suffers from crime, drug trafficking, and violence, accusing the COA of failing to intervene, and pointing out the absence of surveillance cameras. He added: "It is a great danger to the children among all these bad men." Several residents confirmed their agreement with these concerns. However, a spokesperson for the COA rejected this description, asserting that they do not recognize the picture conveyed by some residents.
The police announced that Lisa was killed with "extreme violence", as she suffered multiple stab wounds and injuries to her neck. She managed to call the police herself before her body was found on Holterbergweg between Amsterdam-Oost and Abcoude. The suspect remains in solitary confinement and is scheduled to appear before the investigating judge on Monday.
In a commemorative gesture, Ajax Football Club announced that it will honor Lisa during its home match against Heracles on Sunday. Fans will be asked to applaud in the 17th minute — a symbol of her age — as a message against senseless violence and in solidarity with her family.