Fewer reports of domestic violence and child abuse

Veilig Thuis received fewer reports of child abuse, domestic violence, or a combination of the two in the first half of 2021. But the collection of safe-at-home organizations did receive more calls from victims, bystanders, healthcare workers, and other professionals asking for advice than in the same period last year, Statistics Netherlands reported. 

Veilig Thuis only becomes responsible for follow-up steps once someone makes an official report of a possibly unsafe situation at home. In the first six months of this year, 61,000 reports were made, 6 percent less than a year earlier. People can also call for advice. Then they remain responsible for what to do next, not Veilig Thuis. These calls increased by 15 percent to over 67,000.

Just over half of the advice calls and reports that Veilig Thuis received concerned suspicion of child abuse. The hotline was also often informed of possible violence by a partner or ex.

The police made most of the report at two-thirds of cases. Advice was much more often requested by other professionals, for example, in healthcare and education, and private individuals. In the latter case, for example, it concerns someone who suspects a child in the neighborhood is being abused and wonders what to do.