After 15 years, the Dutch police remain perplexed by the murder of a young sex worker in Amsterdam’s red light district. A haunting hologram portrays Bernadette “Betty” Szabó, sitting in the window and asking for help.
Why? In a press release by the police, they explain that they hope the evocative display will encourage witnesses to come forward with information.
19-year-old Betty is depicted in the life-size 3D computer-generated hologram wearing denim shorts and a leopard print bra that reveals her tattooed torso.
At intervals, she leans over and breathes onto the window, revealing the word “help.”
From behind the glass, she seeks contact with bystanders and asks for help.
What happened?
In 2009, Betty’s body was discovered in her brothel by two other sex workers who noticed her usual music wasn’t playing.
She was the victim of a violent knife attack — merely three months after she gave birth to her son. He was placed in foster care as a result of her death.
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Although police reacted swiftly, launching a large-scale murder investigation, her killer remains unknown. According to the BBC, it is suspected that the perpetrator came from abroad.
The hologram’s purpose
“We want to do justice to Betty, her relatives and the case”, Benjamin van Gogh, the coordinator of the Amsterdam Investigation Communication Team responsible for the campaign says.
The politie are convinced that there are witnesses that know more and have not come forth with information that could help them solve the tragic case.
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They hope that the hologram, along with the messages displayed across the windows surrounding Betty, will not only reach witnesses but also raise awareness for Betty’s case.
Betty’s hologram can be seen at Korte Stormsteeg 2 between Saturday, 9, and Friday, November 15.
Do you have any information that could help police? Contact them for free at 0800 – 6070 or send an e-mail to coldcase.amsterdam@politie.nl.
