The death of 17-year-old Lisa sent shockwaves through the region and the rest of the country. After her death, the teenager was commemorated in her hometown of Abcoude. In addition, attention was drawn in several ways to combat violence against women. Behind the visible campaigns, local residents and municipalities are concerned with safety in the area. What has changed in recent months?
The tree trunks in the shape of a heart mark the gruesome spot where the 17-year-old teenager died on August 20. Oncoming traffic can see the scene of her death from afar.
Lisa’s death sparked a national discussion about the safety of women on the streets. In addition, several actions were organised, such as the bicycle campaignCrazy Minasthe silent journey of (former) residents from the AZC in Amsterdam-Zuidoost and the collection for the campaign of We Claim the Night.
In Amsterdam-Zuidoost, the district next to the Holterbergweg in Duivendrecht, the violent death of the teenager is common among young girls, says Sherel Gesser-Guira of Parels Met een Missie. Her foundation supports girls aged 8 to 12 from South East. These children are paired with teenagers and young women over the age of 15, from whom they receive guidance in, for example, school tasks or social expectations.
“This event has had a lot of impact,” says Gesser-Guira. “Her death evoked fear and uncertainty in some girls, others wondered how something like this could have happened.” In addition, the victim was a peer of the same age young leaders within her organization. “And of course it happened close to home.”
Need for support
To allay concerns, the subject is regularly discussed with schoolchildren in small groups. “We do this in an accessible way and always at their pace. Girls decide for themselves what they want to share.” Gesser-Guira also notices that parents have just as many concerns. “Sometimes they contact them themselves to ask how they can talk to their daughters about this subject. We notice that parents need support in this.”
As tools, the girls are taught which situations or circumstances can increase risks. “Consider, for example, poorly lit places, busy hangouts without supervision or situations in which girls feel pressured. The emphasis is on awareness and on what they can do themselves to stay safe. We hope to strengthen the feeling of safety.”
Self-defense courses
Trainer and coach Tamara Deceuninck also notices that the subject is very popular among her participants. Deceuninck gives self-defense courses at the Dominion Center in Duivendrecht, not far from the place where the violent murder was committed. “My students register because they hear a lot in the news about violence being committed against women. When something like this happens, they have nothing to defend themselves. That realization makes them want to do something.”
What the trainer teaches her students in the self-defense course is that women become aware of their environment. “What I teach the students is how they can put themselves in the shoes of a perpetrator. From that perspective, they see how a violent person chooses a victim. At the same time, I teach them how to react physically.” Deceuninck uses krav maga, a self-defense system from Israel. “You can use the techniques to instinctively block an attack, which can give you a greater chance of surviving a form of violence.”
Approach to increase safety
The municipality of Ouder-Amstel reports that several measures have been taken following the violent death of the teenager. For example, the grass along the shoulder of the Holterbergweg has been deliberately kept short and the lighting in the area has been enhanced. In addition, there was camera surveillance for two months and the police introduced extra supervision and enforcement after the murder.
Preventive camera surveillance has now ended, says a spokesperson. “But the impact of the crime is such that the Holterbergweg still receives attention in surveillance. The local police officers are therefore extra present on the Holterbergweg.”
The street has been designated as a pilot area of the municipality, which is working to address safety in Ouder-Amstel. “In this way we can take additional measures to strengthen physical and social safety on the road. We want to ensure that this route is used by as many cyclists as possible in public spaces, because that also contributes to social safety.”
Defense tools
In Lisa’s case, it involved an perpetrator with a knife, and it was therefore a life-threatening situation. “I cannot promise my students that you can emerge from an attack unscathed,” Deceuninck underlines. “Unfortunately, violence cannot always be prevented, but I do teach them how to physically defend themselves if necessary.”