At least one report a day of woman being strangled in the Netherlands

At least once a day, a woman in the Netherlands reports having been strangled, according to a pilot project by the National Research and Expertise Bureau FMO (LOEF), which is testing a method for securing evidence of non-fatal strangulation in collaboration with the police and judiciary. LOEF expects the reports it receives are only the tip of the iceberg, Hart van Nederland reported.

The injuries involved in non-fatal strangulation are often not visible on the outside. In the experiment, women undergo an internal throat examination with an MRI within 48 hours. So far, the researchers have demonstrated injuries in 40 percent of the cases.

Since LOEF launched the pilot in September, 152 women have come forward and undergone examinations. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, there were 100 victims. LOEF intended to examine 200 victims this year and had the capacity for 100 MRIs. Those 100 MRIs have already been performed.

In addition to the 152 women who have been examined since September, about 20 were unable to come to the examination location because they had no transport, no babysitter for their children, or for safety reasons. LOEF called that very distressing, because this examination could really strengthen these women’s position in a court case.

From this month, LOEF will use a special examination bus to travel to victims if they do not have transport. The bus is currently being prepared for this purpose.

The experiment is running in Midden-Nederland, Oost-Nederland, and Oost-Brabant regions. It will run for four years. The researchers hope to eventually expand so that the examination is available nationwide.

The pilot is part of a broader approach to prevent femicide. Non-fatal strangulation is considered a major red flag and can be a precursor to femicide.