Domestic violence reports rising steadily; 66,000 in first half of 2025

The number of reports of suspected child abuse and partner violence continues to rise, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported. In the first half of 2025, the domestic violence support organization Veilig Thuis received approximately 66,000 reports.

In the first half of 2024, there were approximately 64,000 reports. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number increased by 10 percent. Organizations received slightly more reports in the second half of 2019 than in the first six months of this year, but after a decline in the coronavirus pandemic years, the number has been gradually increasing again since 2022.

Last year, half of the cases involved child abuse or suspected child abuse. Violence by a partner or ex-partner, or suspected violence, was the reason for 38 percent of reports. Elderly abuse was involved in 2 percent of cases. Sometimes the nature of the violence was unclear. Nearly 70 percent of reports to Veilig Thuis are made by the police or the judicial authorities.

Veilig Thuis is the national reporting center for domestic violence and child abuse, or suspected cases of such situations. In cases of serious violence or imminent danger, the organization can take immediate action after receiving a report and contact social workers or the police. In other cases, Veilig Thuis can also provide advice on what action victims, bystanders, and caregivers can take.

In the first half of this year, Veilig Thuis staff provided such advice approximately 85,000 times, 10,000 times more than in the same period in 2024. The organization did not investigate the reason for the increase, but increased attention to domestic violence likely plays a role.