Terrified Dutch students who were forced to live side-by-side with 125 refugees in an “integration” housing experiment were subjected to years of sexual assault, violence and intimidation, a damning investigation has revealed.
The project, known as Stek Oost, is located in the Watergraafsmeer district of Amsterdam. When it opened, it was promoted as a progressive solution to both the student housing shortage and the refugee crisis. The idea was simple: 125 students and 125 refugees would live together, even being encouraged to “buddy up” so newcomers could integrate more quickly into Dutch society.
Instead, residents say the experiment descended into a nightmare.
According to testimonies gathered by the Dutch investigative documentary programme Zembla, students living at Stek Oost experienced repeated sexual assaults, harassment, stalking and physical violence. Some residents even alleged that a gang rape took place inside the complex.
One female student told the programme she frequently witnessed “fights in the hallway and then again in the shared living room.” A male resident described being threatened by a refugee wielding an eight-inch kitchen knife. Despite multiple reports to authorities, students say their complaints were routinely ignored.
“I Wanted to Help Him”
One of the most shocking cases involved a Syrian refugee who later became a convicted rapist. A former resident, identified only as Amanda, said the man raped her 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 told Zembla.
Amanda explained that her neighbour initially seemed kind and polite. After repeatedly asking her to come to his room, she eventually agreed. During the visit, he made her uncomfortable, and when she tried to leave, he trapped her inside and sexually assaulted her.
Although Amanda filed a police report in 2019, the case was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Just six months later, another woman living at Stek Oost warned the housing association that the same man posed a danger to women in the building. According to the documentary, authorities claimed it was legally impossible to evict him.
It was not until March 2022, when he was formally arrested, that he finally left the complex. In 2024, he was convicted of raping Amanda and another resident and sentenced to just three years in prison.
Legal Obstacles and Ignored Warnings
Carolien de Heer, district chair of Amsterdam East, acknowledged the difficulties authorities faced in removing dangerous individuals.
“You see unacceptable behaviour, and people get scared,” she said. “But legally, that’s often not enough to remove someone from their home or impose mandatory care. You keep running into the same obstacles.”
In another disturbing incident, the housing firm Stadgenoot, which manages Stek Oost, suspected that a gang rape had occurred in one of its flats during the summer of 2023. While police told De Telegraaf they were not aware of a gang rape, they confirmed receiving seven reports of sexual assault linked to the complex.
The problems at Stek Oost stretch back years. Since opening in 2018, the site has faced repeated allegations. In 2022, Dutch broadcaster AT5 reported that a refugee had been accused of six sexual attacks between 2018 and 2021. Local authorities became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle to force him out.
“We Were Completely Overwhelmed”
Stadgenoot wanted to shut the complex down as early as 2023, but the local authority refused. The site is now scheduled to close in 2028, when its operating contract expires.
Until then, staff and residents say they are exhausted and traumatised by what they endured.
“We were completely overwhelmed. We no longer wanted to be responsible for the safety of the complex,” said Mariëlle Foppen, a Stadgenoot employee.
“It was just too intense,” she added. “As a manager, if I can’t guarantee my colleagues’ safety, I know I’m going to have a really bad night’s sleep.”
What was once hailed as a bold social experiment is now being described as one of the most shocking housing scandals in the Netherlands—raising serious questions about safety, accountability and the real human cost of forced “integration” policies.
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