Minors nearly never report sexual exploitation

Despite psychologists identifying dozens of young victims of sexual exploitation, minors tend never to report such situations to the police. The Pointer research platform (KRO-NCRV) surveyed police units to compare the numbers.

In the Amsterdam municipality, only one instance of sexual exploitation of a minor was reported in the past three years, while in the eastern Netherlands two reports were made in the past year. Meanwhile, no reports were made in Rotterdam, the northern Netherlands or Limburg, according to Pointer.

This does not stack up against the numbers GZ-educated psychologists and youth workers are seeing, however. Forms of sexual exploitation minors experience include illegal prostitution, pornography and abuse by so-called "loverboys," who groom children and ultimately exploit them in the sex industry. Jan de Jong, team leader of the vice police in Amsterdam, said it is difficult when young people who are victims of such situations do not report.

"Without a report it is more difficult to start a case against a suspect. If we don't have the victim's story, it will be very difficult in a lawsuit," he told Pointer.