Female Cyclist's Murder Rocks Amsterdam

Amsterdam is on edge after the late-night stabbing death of a 17-year-old girl as she cycled home from a night out—a routine many had long considered safe. The killing has rattled the city's sense of security, especially among young women, who now say they're rethinking solo rides after dark. The attack took place in the early hours of Aug. 20, as the teenager—identified only by her first name, Lisa—opted to ride her e-bike the 10 miles home from central Amsterdam to the town of Abcoude while her friends took a taxi, per the New York Times. She had called authorities, reporting that she was being followed, before she was found fatally stabbed on a quiet stretch of road outside the city, per the New York Post.

A 22-year-old man, reportedly an asylum seeker, has been arrested in connection with the murder and a sexual assault five days prior. Authorities haven't provided his name, but his status has already reignited heated debates over immigration, with far-right politicians pushing for stricter policies. In the wake of the killing, landmarks and clubs across Amsterdam glowed orange, in apparent reference to a UN campaign condemning violence against women, as the city mourned and demanded change. Many local women said the incident shattered their assumptions about safety. It "could have happened to anyone," an 18-year-old, who'd been out late in the city on the night Lisa died, told the Times.