A case frozen since 2009
Back in February 2009: Bernadett Betty
Szabó, 19, is found stabbed to death at her workplace. Originally from Hungary, this young mother left her country for Amsterdam at 18, hoping for a better life. That evening, her colleagues, worried not to see her, discovered her body in a pool of blood. Despite an extensive investigation and analysis of video surveillance, the murder remains a mystery.
When technology comes into play
The Dutch police are bringing out the heavy artillery with an idea that is original to say the least: a life-size hologram of Bernadett. Behind a window, his image seems to breathe, forming a message written on the glass: Help
(Help me). Placed at a strategic intersection in the red light district, this hologram is accompanied by posters, videos and a reward of €30,000 for any useful information. The goal? Awakening memories and, above all, the consciousness of those who could finally speak.
Benjamin van Gogh, coordinator of the Amsterdam Missing Persons Team, explains: The idea is to humanize Bernadett, to remind us that she was a young woman with a life, dreams, and not just a name on a file.
He hopes that this visual appeal will reach a much wider audience, notably the millions of tourists who pass through this district each year.
Why it might work
Amsterdam’s red light district, one of the busiest places in the Netherlands, never lacks witnesses. So how can we explain that no one spoke up at the time? Investigators believe some may have been afraid or simply did not see fit to come forward. Today, things have perhaps changed: relationships evolve, secrets become heavier over time, and consciences could, perhaps, be freed.
A call for Bernadett
This initiative, validated by the victim’s family, is intended to be respectful. We not only wanted to relaunch the investigation, but also to pay tribute to a life that was too short,
specifies Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk, from the unsolved cases team. Bernadett, nicknamed “Pinguin” by those close to her during her pregnancy, remains a tragic figure: a young woman of 19, deprived of justice and a future.
So, will this unconventional method bear fruit? Impossible to say, but the idea is as intriguing as it is shocking. Perhaps a glance at this hologram will be enough to awaken memories and bring out the truth.
