Death of a 17-year old teenager in the Netherlands sparks outrage over violence against women

The violent murder of a Dutch teenager, 17-year-old Lisa, who had been biking home after a night out with her friends sparked outrage across the Netherlands and Belgium.

A poem written by Dutch actrice and author Nienke 's Gravemade has been widely shared on social media, in it she writes how women have the right to feel safe and move freely at night. The text is accompanied by a hashtag, translating to #reclaimthenight.

"The red handbag. I keep thinking about the red handbag. How it dangled from her handlebars as she rode through the night. A night that belonged to her too, because we all have 24 hours in our day. 24 hours that we are free to use how and where we choose," 's Gravemade wrote in a post on Instagram.

Early on Wednesday, Lisa left the centre of Amsterdam around 3:30AM after a night out with friends, and was cycling back home to the nearby town of Abcoude. After she noticed someone was following her, the 17-year-old called the national emergency number.

The police were able to locate the teenager using her phone, but all help came too late. When the dispatched team arrived at the scene at 4:15AM, Lisa's lifeless body was found by the side of the road in Duivendrecht, nearby Amsterdam, local media reported.

On Friday afternoon, Dutch police announced a suspect had emerged in the investigation into Lisa's death. The 22-year-old man was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of involvement in a serious sexual offence in Weesperzijde, a neighbourhood in Amsterdam.

'Text me when you're home.'

"Text me when you're home, [...] I'll just share my live location and take the longer route instead of going down that road," reads a poem by another Dutch author Lois Kruidenier. She took to social media to share an experience that widely resonates with women.

"I put on my sneakers before getting on my bike with no lights. I tie my hair into a bun or tuck it into my jacket, trying to be as invisible as possible. I listen to music, but very quietly. I see a man without looking at him, and I don't stop at red lights because that takes too much time. Hi dad - I yell into my phone, even though no one's on the other end of the line," Kruidenier's poem continued.

The incident reignited debate about the damaging effects of "victim blaming."

"Why didn't she just take a taxi with her friends?" Was it really smart to get on her bike alone? Why was she still cycling that late at night? Why did she choose to wear that, of all things?," 's Gravemade wrote in her post, highlighting some of common remarks women often hear when blame is unfairly shifted onto them.

The Dutch author admitted feeling guilty right after having shared those same thoughts, and emphasised that the blame should not rest on women, but on the perpetrator.