Nearly 750 stabbings in NL so far this year

In the first eight months of this year, emergency services in the Netherlands responded to 744 reports of stabbing incidents, an increase of over 30 percent compared to the 572 stabbings in the same period last year, according to an analysis of P2000 reports by Alarmeringen.nl.

There were a total of 949 stabbings in the country in the whole of 2019. That means 2020 could be heading for a record number of stabbings, the site said. 

The number of stabbing incidents increased in all provinces except Limburg and Noord-Holland. In Utrecht and Flevoland, the number of stabbings increased by 700 percent and 600 percent respectively. In Utrecht, there were 24 stabbings so far this year. And in Flevoland 28. 

In Rotterdam, the number of stabbings increased from 82 in the first eight months of last year, to 92 in that period this year. In Den Haag there were 49 stabbings this year, one more than last year. Amsterdam counted 35 stabbings up to August this year, a decrease of 52 percent compared to the 73 stabbings in the same period last year. 

In the city of Utrecht the number of stabbings increased by 350 percent, but in absolute numbers they are still low, increasing from two stabbing incidents last year to 9 so far this year.