“Help... He is killing me”: Missing woman Hajar sent frantic plea before Amsterdam death

 

“Help... He is killing me”: Missing woman Hajar sent frantic plea before Amsterdam death

Thursday, 22 October 2026 - 18:44

https://nltimes.nl/2026/10/22/help-killing-missing-woman-hajar-sent-frantic-plea-amsterdam-death

 

The 29-year-old Amsterdam woman who was found murdered two weeks after she was reported missing sent text messages to a family member begging for help the last day she was seen. “Help me. Now. He is killing me,” Hajar wrote in a message on the morning of October 4, according to De Telegraaf. Abdi A., a 23-year-old man, was arrested for her murder two days ago.

The young woman was seen cycling with an unknown man that near the RAI convention center that day. She was killed in an act of violence, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema later confirmed. Her body was found in a suitcase in the waters of the Amstel River along Amsteldijk about two kilometers away from the RAI.

Her messages were received at about 11:15 a.m., causing family members to panic. “We were very worried, but we were told that we had to wait 24 hours before the case could be treated as urgent,” an unnamed relative told the newspaper.

Police would only confirm on Thursday that the family did get in touch with authorities nine hours later. “On Sunday evening, October 4, the family contacted the police around 8:15 PM to report the disappearance of 29-year-old Hajar. They were concerned because Hajar had sent disturbing messages to an acquaintance that morning,” police wrote in a statement.

“When the family had heard nothing more from her following the disturbing messages, they decided to contact the police that evening. Based on all facts and circumstances known at that time, the disappearance was assessed as non-urgent.”

Hajar was last seen cycling away from the RAI towards Buitenveldert with an unidentified man, possibly Abdi A., who was born in Somalia and has been legally residing in the Netherlands for 17 years. Police previously said a family member reported her missing to police that same evening, and that her disappearance was classified as urgent on October 5.

They began using various investigative methods to trace her whereabouts, tracking the location of her phone signal to a property in the Buitenveldert neighborhood, though neither she nor her phone were located.

Authorities waited another week before asking the public for help in finding the woman, and investigators did not disclose concern over a violent crime. Police appealed to the public for help on Tuesday, October 13.

The delay sparked almost immediate criticism from members of the public and women’s advocacy groups, who accused the police of treating the matter too casually. The Amsterdam police district’s communications office went on the defensive, repeatedly saying that the decision was made “in consultation with the family” to protect Hajar’s privacy, as she had a history of disappearing for days at a time.

The murder of Hajar, 29, and the subsequent arrest were detailed by Amsterdam Chief Prosecutor René de Beukelaer, Mayor Femke Halsema, and city Police Chief Pieter Holla at a press conference. 20 Oct. 2026 - Credit: NL Times / NL Times - License: All Rights Reserved

On October 16, a passerby discovered a suitcase in the water off Amsteldijk in Amsterdam-Zuid. Police found Hajar’s body inside and determined that she had died as a result of a crime, 12 days after she was last seen.

“It hurts to see that the police only deployed so much manpower for Hajar after she was found dead. We knew all along that she had been murdered. After all, she wrote that,” the family member told the Telegraaf.

“We dedicated significant resources and time. But the sad truth is that, despite our efforts, we were unable to save or protect her,” said Amsterdam Police Chief Peter Holla at a press conference on Tuesday.

Detectives identified Abdi A. as a witness in the case, and interviewed him on Monday evening. He was not taken into custody. In the hours that followed, detectives found evidence to suggest he was involved in her murder. The following morning, police responded to a report of an assault at the residence of A.‘s foster family in Koggenland, Noord-Holland, leading to his foster father’s hospitalization. A. was taken into custody for that crime, and then arrested for Hajar’s murder.

The update has again put police in Amsterdam on the defensive. “In the Netherlands, approximately 40,000 people go missing every year. In Amsterdam last year, that number was about 2,800,” authorities said on Thursday. “Around 70% of missing persons cases are resolved within 24 hours because the missing person returns or is found.”

Some 646 missing persons cases were regarded as “urgent” last year, indicating a life-threatening situation, police said. “Examples include a missing elderly person with dementia who has disappeared and requires medication, or a possible crime. This assessment is made by an Assistant Public Prosecutor.”