Reports of sexual harassment on the street skyrocketing, especially in Rotterdam

The number of reports of sexual harassment on the street has skyrocketed in the year since the Netherlands criminalized sexually approaching someone in a “terrifying, humiliating, or degrading” way, Het Misdaadbureu reported after surveying municipalities that have special reporting centers for this crime. In Rotterdam, the number of reports almost tripled.

The Netherlands criminalized sexual harassment on the street on July 1 last year. In Rotterdam, the number of reports rose from 241 in 2023 to 635 last year. The Rotterdam reports most often involved catcalling, followed by name-calling. Most of the reports came from the city center, and almost 10 percent were linked to public transport. The perpetrators are almost always boys and men, and the victims are almost always young women.

“The fact that it is now a criminal offense sends out a clear signal. We see that Rotterdam residents are becoming increasingly aware of this,” the municipality of Rotterdam told the PowNed program. “More reports are coming in from both victims and witnesses. People dare to talk aobut it more often.”

Many other cities also saw a significant increase in reports. The number of reports increased from 149 to 193 in Utrecht, 45 to 53 in The Hague, 13 to 37 in Alkmaar, 29 to 31 in Tilburg, and 0 to 4 in Heerlen. Vizier, which manages the reporting center in the east of the country, saw reports increase from 42 to 79.

Despite the hundreds of reports, only 20 perpetrators were convicted of sexual harassment on the street since it was criminalized on 1 July 2024.