Hundreds of Dutch women forced back into shelters as abusers go unprosecuted
According to Dutch shelter organizations, hundreds of women in the Netherlands are forced back into domestic violence shelters each year because their abusers are not prosecuted. “We hear from these organizations that they are struggling with a lack of capacity,” Essa Reijmers, coordinator from Valente, the umbrella group for women’s shelters, told De Telegraaf. “But that cannot be an excuse.”
She told the newspaper that prosecution delays send women repeatedly into shelters, sometimes under “code red,” where they cannot leave for months, and their children cannot attend school.
Amber, a mother of two, has entered a shelter for the sixth time in two years because of her violent ex-partner. “This means I haven’t been allowed outside for three months,” she told De Telegraaf. “And neither have my children.”
She said she endured 15 years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse, only later learning her ex was tied to organized crime and had served prison sentences for firearm possession and drug trafficking. He warned her never to contact police. After leaving him in 2023, Amber received housing, but because he retained custody rights, he continued to abuse her during visits with the children.
Amber filed a criminal complaint and turned over the evidence, including pictures of injuries, witness statements, and audio recordings. But she said nothing happened in the two years that followed. She has since filed four more complaints. “The police say I have to keep reporting everything,” Amber told the newspaper. “But then nothing is done.”
Police told De Telegraaf they do not know whether cases sometimes remain unresolved for long periods but acknowledged limited staffing forces them to make choices. The Public Prosecution Service said it generally reviews files quickly and carefully, deciding based on evidence whether to prosecute.
