Detectives in a brutal Dutch murder are hoping a hologram of a young sex worker murdered in Amsterdam 15 years ago will help people remember things about the girl and bring her killer, or killers, to justice.

Bernadett Szabó, known as Betty, was born in Hungary and left for Amsterdam when she was 18. Once there, she started earning money as a sex worker in the red light district. She continued to work after becoming pregnant and giving birth to a son who was placed in foster care.

On the evening of February 19, 2009, two girls who worked in the same space as her realized that they had not seen her in her work room at Oudezijds Achterburgwal and had not heard the music she usually played. When they checked on her at 1am, they found her dead in her room having been stabbed dozens of times. He was 19 years old.

A decade and a half later, the police are using technology and mounting a major campaign in a final attempt to solve the case. A house on the corner of Korte Stormsteeg and Oudezijds Achterburgwal has been used in the case of Szabó’s murder. Large stickers have been placed on the windows and television screens showing the crime scene, a documentary and the last images of Szabó when she was still alive.

However, the most striking element of the campaign is the life-size hologram of Szabó sitting on a stool in a window, trying to engage with passers-by and asking for their help. The hologram, created using 3D imaging technology, shows the large and memorable dragon tattoo that covered Szabó’s stomach and chest.

“It’s the first time we’ve done something like this and, to be honest, we’re a bit nervous,” said Benjamin van Gogh, the coordinator of Amsterdam’s wanted and missing group, as reported by the Guardian. “We want justice for Betty, her family and friends and the case itself.”

Benjamin van Gogh emphasized that this action was taken in consultation with Szabó’s family. “We are committed to doing this with dignity and with the clear intention of achieving some justice for Betty by finding her killer or killers.”

He said police have always tried to “give” a victim a face to help with public appeals, “and the hologram is one way to do that.”

Detectives hope the hologram and a €30,000 (£25,000) reward will help find new witnesses who may not necessarily be local.

Anne Dreijer-Heemskerk, a member of the case team, said: “Betty was murdered in one of the busiest areas of Amsterdam, maybe even Holland. It’s really almost impossible not to have people who saw or heard something unusual at that time or heard someone talking about the case, who don’t even have to be in Amsterdam, because the red light district receives visitors from all over the world.” .

Noting that it had been 15 years since the murder, she added: “We hope that witnesses who may have been afraid before or remained silent for other reasons now have the courage to come forward.”