An 82-year-old woman was attacked and beaten unconscious after she tried to stop a fare-dodger pushing through a barrier behind her.
The attack in Amsterdam saw the pensioner hit on the chest and head after she tried to prevent the brazen lout from pushing through.
Local police shared disturbing CCTV footage showing the attack taking place in the Ganzenhoef metro station.
The pensioner can be seen scanning her ticket and proceeding through the barrier before a man tries to slip through behind her without paying.
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When she tried to stop him from evading the fee, he attacked her, striking her on the ear and chest.
The perpetrator, dressed in a blue cap and shirt, can then be seen casually walking away, smiling, and leaving the station.
The 82-year-old called for help, however there was no one around to hear her pleas.
She managed to travel to the city centre where she then asked for help before she fell unconscious.
The 82-year-old woman was struck numerous times in the head and chest
|AMSTERDAM POLICE
Police are now asking for help from the public in identifying the man who carried out the assault on May 26.
Posting on social media alongside footage of the attack and a still of the man, Amsterdam Police said: "The victim planned to take the metro towards the centre of Amsterdam.
"Her plans were abruptly disrupted around 12.20pm when she tried to check in at Ganzenhoef metro station.
"She felt someone trying to slip through the gate behind her. She attempted to stop this by pausing."
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It continued: "In response, she was pushed in the back. She pushed back lightly, but was then shoved forward with force.
"The woman was then struck hard in the ear, just below the temple. After that, she was hit again in the chest."
A spokesman for the police said the images have only just been released after other lines of enquiry failed to track down the dodger.
Fare-dodging is on the rise in the Netherlands. At the beginning of October, new fines were introduced across the country to try to deter offenders.
The offender, dressed in a blue cap and shirt, then left the station via the escalator
|AMSTERDAM POLICE
From October 1, the fine increased from €50 (£43) to €70 (£60).
According to the national railway NS, the number of fines given for fare dodging nearly doubled from around 181,000 in 2022 to 353,000 in 2024.
This figure is expected to exceed 400,000 this year.
Thierry Aartsen, the acting Dutch Infrastructure Minister, said: "We see that fare dodgers are also the ones who cause trouble, commit violence, and fuel that unsafe feeling on public transport.
"This is the first sign that we want public transport to be safe again."
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