quarta-feira, 21 de outubro de 2026
Suspect in missing Amsterdam woman's killing arrested after assaulting his foster father
Suspect
in missing Amsterdam woman's killing arrested after assaulting his foster
father
Wednesday,
21 October 2026 - 09:06
The
23-year-old man suspected of killing 29-year-old Hajar from Amsterdam was
arrested after assaulting his foster father on Tuesday, a neighbor of the
assault victim told Hart van Nederland.
Police
received a report of an assault at a residence in Spierdijk, a village in the
West Friesland region, at around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday. Responding officers
found an injured man and the suspect at the scene. The injured man was taken to
a hospital by ambulance, and the suspect was arrested.
According to
the neighbor, the suspect first threw a stone through the window and then
attacked his foster father. The police have not confirmed these details.
Shortly
before the 23-year-old man’s arrest in Spierdijk, the police had flagged him in
their national database as suspected of involvement in Hajar’s killing.
Arresting officers therefore quickly identified him, and he was taken into
custody for questioning about Hajar’s disappearance and death.
Hajar went
missing near the RAI conference center in Amsterdam on October 4. She was last
seen with an unknown man on a bicycle. Her family reported her missing the
following day. The police published
her name and picture on October 13, asking for information about her
whereabouts. Her body
was found in a suitcase
in the Amstel River on October 16.
The police
questioned the 23-year-old man as a witness in Hajar’s disappearance on Monday
evening. Further investigation led the police to classify him as a suspect on
Tuesday morning, shortly before the assault in Spierdijk
Man arrested over discovery of woman’s remains in suitcase
Man
arrested over discovery of woman’s remains in suitcase
October
21, 2026
https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/10/man-arrested-over-discovery-of-womans-remains-in-suitcase/
A
23-year-old man has been arrested in connection of the discovery of a woman’s
body in a suitcase in Amsterdam.
The
victim, 29-year-old Hajar, went missing on October 4 after she was seen cycling
away from the Rai area towards Buitenveldert on a bicycle with an unknown man.
Her
remains were found on Saturday in a suitcase that had been dumped in the
Amsteldijk. The discovery was made nearly two weeks after she disappeared and
two days after police issued an appeal for information about her whereabouts.
The
suspect, a Somali national of no fixed abode, was arrested on Monday evening
for an assault on another man in Koggeland, Noord-Holland, in an unrelated
incident.
He had
earlier been questioned as a witness about Hajar’s disappearance after he
camera footage showed him with her at the Rai on October 4.
“Further
inquiries led to him being identified as a suspect,” René Beukelaer, head of
the prosecution service in Amsterdam told a press conference on Tuesday.
Murder of
Lisa
City
mayor Femke Halsema acknowledged that the death of Hajar would revive questions
about women’s safety, following the murder of a 17-year-old girl, Lisa, on a
cycle path in August last year, A 22-year-old asylum seeker, Chris Jude,
believed to be from Nigeria, has since admitted killing her.
“It is
just 14 months since the Amsterdam authorities had to inquire about the
dreadful murder of a 17-year-old girl,” Halsema said.
“The
fear, anger and outrage that it stirred up in our society have not been
quelled, and it pains me hugely to have to sit here again, knowing that this
will cause more fears for women in this city and across the Netherlands.”
Peter
Holla, Amsterdam’s chief of police, said the suspect was initially treated as a
witness because “there were no signs in the camera footage that he was a
suspect or there was a threatening situation.”
Outstanding
questions
He said
police were still appealing for information from the public to answer
outstanding questions, such as where Hajar was killed.
The
suspect has lived in the Netherlands since the age of six and has permanent
residency. He is being held in solitary detention, with contact restricted to
his lawyer.
Beukelaer
added there was no indication that the suspect and Hajar knew each other.
Holla
said Hajar was reported missing by a family member on October 4 who said she
had left home with a suitcase. The search was classed as “urgent” the following
day.
Public
appeal
“It was
not clear at that time whether we were dealing with a crime,” Holla said.
Her
photograph was circulated to the public on October 13, along with details of
when she was last seen at Rai.
The
family told police Hajar had spent periods of time away from time before, but
always returned, Holla said.
At the
start of the press conference, Halsema extended her sympathies to Hajar’s
family and close friends.
“For
nearly two weeks they lived between hope and fear,” she said. “A few days ago
the worst possible scenario was confirmed: the 29-year-old Hajar had been
violently deprived of her life.
“I ask
everyone to respect the peace and anonymity of the family.”
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