HIBAPRESS – I. Asmalali
Moroccan actor Rabie Skalli was subjected to a shocking robbery in the heart of Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, which turned his trip upside down. While he believed his belongings were in a safe place inside a paid private garage, unknown individuals exploited his absence to seize everything he owned inside his car.
The incident was not limited to material loss, but included the loss of money and, more seriously, "passports," which put him and those with him in a real predicament far from home, in a space that was supposed to have the minimum conditions of monitoring and protection. What is astonishing and bewildering in this case are the details revealed by Skalli regarding the cost of the illusory "security," as he stated that he paid 60 euros to park his car in that garage, a very high price that reflects the amount of trust that visitors place in these facilities. However, this exorbitant cost did not help him, as it turned out that the security system inside the garage was nothing more than a facade that did not protect the contents of the car from vandalism, which raises burning questions about the responsibility of these companies that extract large sums of money without providing actual guarantees for the safety of customers' property. As for the most shocking chapter in this experience, it was embodied in the reaction of the local security authorities, as instead of finding support and professionalism from the Amsterdam police, Skalli was met with a shocking response: "We can't do anything for you." This negative attitude on the part of the police towards a foreign citizen whose documents and money were stolen in a monitored place highlights the fragility of the security system in dealing with robberies that target tourists, and confirms that the glitter of European cities may hide behind it a difficult reality in which the victim is left alone facing his unknown fate.
