A pioneering Dutch housing scheme, sold as a dream solution to integrate refugees, instead subjected students to years of sexual assault, violence, and harassment, a damning investigation has uncovered.
A 'Dream Solution' Descends into a Nightmare
Stek Oost, located in Amsterdam's Watergraafsmeer district, was launched in 2018. The concept paired 125 students with 125 refugees, encouraging them to 'buddy up' to help migrants adapt to life in the Netherlands. However, the reality was far from the utopian vision.
Students living there told the Dutch investigative programme Zembla they faced a terrifying environment. Reports included multiple sexual assaults, harassment, stalking, violence, and even an alleged gang rape. One resident described regular fights in hallways and shared living spaces.
A male student recounted being threatened with an eight-inch kitchen knife by a refugee. Despite filing numerous reports to the authorities and the housing association, the students claimed their pleas for help were consistently ignored.
Systemic Failures and a Convicted Rapist
In one harrowing case, a woman identified as Amanda detailed how a Syrian refugee raped her in 2019 after inviting her to his room to watch a film and then refusing to let her leave. "He wanted to learn Dutch, to get an education. I wanted to help him," she said.
Amanda filed a police report, but the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Alarmingly, just six months later, another woman raised concerns about the same man with the housing association, Stadgenoot, fearing for her safety and that of others.
The local authority, which established the arrangement, reportedly claimed it was legally impossible to evict him. It was not until his formal arrest in March 2022 that he left the complex. He was later convicted of raping Amanda and another resident and sentenced to just three years in prison in 2024.
Overwhelmed Authorities and an Inevitable Closure
Carolien de Heer, district chair for East Amsterdam, highlighted the legal difficulties, stating: "You see unacceptable behaviour, and people get scared. But legally, that's often not enough to remove someone from their home."
The problems were pervasive. In the summer of 2023, Stadgenoot itself suspected a gang rape had occurred in one of the flats. Police, while not confirming a gang rape, acknowledged seven reports of sexual assault from the premises.
The housing association wanted to shut Stek Oost down in 2023, but the local authority refused. It is now scheduled for closure by 2028 when the contract expires. Mariëlle Foppen of Stadgenoot expressed the staff's exhaustion: "We were completely overwhelmed. We no longer wanted to be responsible for the safety of the complex."
This failed experiment stands as a stark warning about the consequences of poorly managed integration policies and the catastrophic impact of institutional inaction on victim safety.
