Majority of victims feel less safe after home invasion

Most people who fell victim to a home invasion, burglary, or attempt thereto feel less safe after the fact. Many also report losing trust in others or struggling with anxiety and trouble sleeping after the crime, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported.

In 2021, over 250,000 people in the Netherlands had someone break into their home or attempt to do so. That is about 2 percent of the population. In about half of the cases, the burglar didn’t actually get into the home. In 10 percent, the perpetrator broke in but stole nothing, and in a fifth of the cases, the perpetrator broke into the house and stole things.

Of the people whose homes got broken into and robbed in 2021, 63 percent reported feeling less safe afterward. Forty percent said they had less trust in other people, 28 percent developed sleep problems, and 13 percent developed anxiety. People whose homes got broken into without theft and those where the perpetrator couldn’t get inside experienced the same issues afterward, but to a slightly lesser extent.

A home invasion with theft can also cause financial problems. In 2021, home invaders stole over 160 million euros worth of items from homes in the Netherlands. Insurers reimbursed approximately 70 million euros of the damages. About 10,000 victims, 17 percent of the total, said they faced financial problems after the home invasion.

Almost 60 percent of 2021 victims reported the home invasion or attempted home invasion to the police. Among those who actually had things stolen, 90 percent filed a police report, which is necessary for the insurance.

Of the 40 percent of victims who didn’t go to the police, a third said they didn’t think the police would be able to help. Others said they didn’t consider the crime important enough to report or felt it was too much effort. “A small proportion said that they were afraid of revenge if they reported the burglary to the police,” CBS said.