Student house Winscho targeted by intruder: ‘Police and SSH aren’t doing anything’

Residents of the international student house Winscho were harassed four times by the same intruder in December. Assistance from the landlord SSH and the police was ineffective, they claim.

The intruder appeared once on December 8, twice on the 10th, and again on the 30th, always late at night. During the first incident, he managed to break in through a window.

‘He smashed a kitchen window with a stone from the sidewalk’, said Layla Cobley, a psychology bachelor student living in Winscho. ‘After that, he entered a women’s restroom, broke a few things, and slept there until one of my housemates found him. They asked him to leave, and he did.’

Layla was not genuinely afraid. ‘I live on the top floor, so if something happens, I’m not immediately aware of it.’ Still, the idea that someone can so easily break into the building unsettled her. ‘It gave me the creeps that he went to the women’s restroom to sleep.’

‘Really scared’

Law student Allessandro Mastrangelo also lives on the top floor. ‘I have many friends who use the kitchen where the man broke in’, said Allessandro. ‘They were really scared. If I lived on the ground floor, I would have been, too.’

Two days later, the man returned, once again in the middle of the night. ‘At 4 a.m., he was outside the reception area making music and yelling at other people. It was very strange. The police were called, but they just told him to leave. They didn’t arrest him or do anything.’

The man later came back with a friend, pretending to look for his keys. Residents sent him away.

Lock your doors

On December 11, SSH sent an email stating, ‘A homeless person was found in the building over the weekend, who caused damage.’ SSH urged residents to call 112 in case of danger and to keep their room doors locked. ‘By locking your room door, you can fully ensure your safety and sleep peacefully.’

Additionally, SSH claimed that responsibility for a break-in lies with the residents, as there is nothing wrong with the building itself. According to the landlord, residents should call the police or confront unwanted intruders.

Security fee

Residents find this response very insufficient. ‘The email only said ‘be careful.’ Those were all the measures SSH took’, said Mastrangelo.

‘SSH did not take responsibility for the break-ins’, added Gina Hawson, another psychology bachelor student. ‘We pay a security fee of 3.50 per month as part of the contract, so SSH is obligated to provide extra security.’

Layla was also disappointed with the police and SSH, especially when the man returned. ‘He smashed a window near the entrance’, she said. ‘There’s now a fist-shaped hole in it, which is quite scary because we have to walk past it. Thankfully, he didn’t manage to get inside.’

SSH stated they had informed external security, according to Layla. ‘But the only time I’ve seen security was when we were a bit too noisy at 10 p.m. once.’

Next week, UKrant will publish an extensive report on Winscho: about big parties during the corona pandemic, inadequate wifi, a peeping tom stalking Winscho and more.

Dutch

De spelregels voor reageren: blijf on topic, geen herhalingen, geen URLs, geen haatspraak en beledigingen. / The rules for commenting: stay on topic, don't repeat yourself, no URLs, no hate speech or insults.

guest

0 Reacties
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments