The number of formal domestic violence reports made to hotline and advisory group Veilig Thuis rose 5% last year to 136,000, according to new figures published on Thursday by the agency and national statistics office CBS.
Around half the reports related to child abuse, and 39% were about a violent partner or ex-partner, the agency said. In total, members of the public, victims and professionals made 315,000 inquiries to the agency.
The agency says the increase in formal reports and inquiries may be down to better awareness of the problem, which was highlighted in a media campaign last year.
Some nine in 10 reports were from professionals, including the police, healthcare workers and teachers. Most of the rest came from neighbours, family and friends.
Last year the Council of Europe’s monitoring body GREVIO said the Netherlands is not doing enough to prevent violence against women, despite making some advances.
In June, MPs voted to adopt “Clare’s Law” which will allow women to check if their partner has convictions for domestic violence. At the same time, domestic violence is not given enough attention when allocating parental authority when a couple splits up, the agency said.
In the Netherlands, a woman is murdered every eight days, usually by a partner or ex. Between 2020 and 2024, 30 children under the age of 10 were murdered in the Netherlands, 26 of whom were killed by a parent.
Veilig Huis said that while the organisation has an important role in tackling domestic violence, it cannot work alone.
“We need good cooperation between councils, police, healthcare groups and the justice department to realise sustainable safety,” the agency said. “The link between care and punishment also needs to be strengthened so that those involved can get the appropriate help and protection on time.”
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