Police to use life-size hologram of murdered sex worker Bernadett Szabo to try to solve cold case
The visualisation will show Bernadett "Betty" Szabo, who was stabbed multiple times on 19 February 2009, behind a window in Amsterdam's red light district.
Saturday 9 November 2024 09:50, UK
Police in Amsterdam are set to use a life-size hologram of a murdered sex worker to try to catch her killer 15 years after her death.
The visualisation will show Bernadett "Betty" Szabo, who was stabbed multiple times on 19 February 2009, sitting on a stool behind a window as she reaches out to passersby for help.
Police have said the 19-year-old had given birth three months before she was "brutally murdered in her workspace".
Amsterdam police said they launched a "major investigation" after her body was discovered, with officers reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses.
However, the case went cold after detectives were unable to solve it.
The force has since reviewed the case and said they will make a "final attempt to find the perpetrator".
Officers believe someone must have information to share and hope the hologram of Ms Szabo will "help people feel a connection to her" and encourage them to come forward.
The force said it is the first time it has used a hologram to try to solve a case. It is unclear whether any other forces around the world have used this technique before.
Eline Roovers, spokesperson for the Dutch police, told Sky News the force is in "close contact" with Ms Szabo's family and they have given their "approval and faith" to start this part of the investigation.
She continued: "They really appreciate our efforts and see this as a hopeful sign that justice might still be able to prevail."
Ms Szabo, originally from Hungary, had moved to Amsterdam when she was 18 before before becoming a sex worker in the city's red light district.
On the night she was killed, two colleagues had noticed she wasn't in her usual place on the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, a street and canal, and decided to check on her.
However, when they arrived at her workspace they found her in a pool of blood.
Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk of the cold case team said: "While every murder case is tragic, Betty's story is especially moving.
"A young woman, only 19, taken from life in such a horrific way. She already had a difficult life, working long hours as a sex worker and continuing until shortly before the birth of her son.
"Her son was placed in foster care and never had the chance to know his mother."
She added: "Betty was murdered in one of Amsterdam's busiest spots, perhaps even one of the busiest in the Netherlands.
"It's hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything unusual back then. People might have even talked about it elsewhere."
Amsterdam's red light district is visited by tourists from all over the world - with police keen to hear from anyone who may have been visiting the area on the night of Ms Szabo's death.
Ms Roovers said the force wants to "emphasise it is never too late to talk".
She added: "Research shows that people who commit a crime like this usually tell multiple people, 2.2 persons to be exact, about what they have done.
"This means that there must be people that know more about Betty's death. Mutual relationships might have changed. This might now result in people to be more willing and open to talk about what they know or have heard."
Police are also offering a €30,000 (£25,000) reward for information that helps solve the case.
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The force will begin projecting the life-sized hologram behind a window at an intersection close to where Ms Szabo was killed from today.
There will be screens showing footage of the crime scene and large window stickers providing information about Ms Szabo and her death.
Benjamin van Gogh, co-ordinator of Amsterdam's investigative communication team, is leading the campaign and said: "This approach is unique and, to be honest, quite daring. We want to do right by Betty, her loved ones, and the case.
"Before deciding to proceed with the hologram, we discussed it extensively with the police and with outside partners, as well as consulting her loved ones.
"We aimed to approach this sensitively, with a clear goal of achieving justice for Betty by tracking down her killer(s)".
He added: "We always strive to put a face to victims in cases like these."