OM handled over 200,000 cases last year including 15 femicides; More teenage suspects

Last year, there were 15 cases of femicide in the Netherlands, in which a woman was killed by her partner or ex, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced with its annual figures for 2025 on Monday. The OM also noted an alarming increase in teenagers suspected of serious crimes. The OM completed over 200,000 cases last year.

In 2025, the OM received 181,700 criminal cases, down from 212,800 in 2024. It settled 45,500 cases via a settlement agreement, and over 82,000 cases were brought to court.

A hack at the OM had major consequences for its cases. OM employees were disconnected from the internet for weeks and were working based on emergency processes for several months. “The consequences of this breach created backlogs which had not been fully cleared by the end of 2025.” The year concluded with a remaining backlog of approximately 9,000 cases. According to the OM, these cases were all minor and mostly without victims.

Femicide and sex crimes

After several women were killed in 2025, public attention for women’s safety increased last year. The OM, therefore, reported figures involving violence against women separately on Monday. “Often, a pattern of criminal offenses in the form of domestic violence precedes femicide,” the OM said.

Last year, the OM registered 82 suspects in murder and manslaughter cases, or attempts thereto, involving a female victim. In 43 cases, the suspect “belonged to the victim’s domestic circle,” most often a partner or ex-partner. In 67 of these cases, the man is suspected of attempting to kill the woman or preparing to do so. Fifteen cases involved actual femicide.

The OM said the Dutch authorities are committed to reducing violence against women. “The OM is investing, among other things, in operational capacity for domestic violence cases. A new approach to gathering evidence in attempted strangulation cases, a major red flag for femicide, also started in 2025.”

More people also came forward to press charges related to sexual offenses, with 13 percent more incidents reported and a 19 percent jump in cases filed, in part due to the tougher sex crimes laws that took effect midway through 2024.

“Under this act, more forms of sexually transgressive behavior have become punishable, such as having sexual contact without full mutual consent. Sexual harassment has also become punishable, both offline and online. This new law and the increased attention to sexual violence may be related to the rise in the number of reports and complaints.”

Youth crime

The OM also reported an alarming increase in the number of children aged 12 to 17 suspected of crimes. “The increase in the proportion of serious crimes, such as robberies, possession of explosives, arson, threats, unlawful detention, and (attempted) manslaughter or murder, is striking,” the OM said. In 2024, the number of teen suspects in these crimes jumped 14 percent, and increased by another 5 percent last year.

“Compared to two years ago, the proportion of minors involved in such offenses has risen by nearly a quarter,” the OM said. “This is a worrying development.” The Dutch authorities have already raised the alarm about teenagers getting recruited by criminal networks, often through social media, and the Netherlands has joined a Europol task force to combat this development.

Organized crime

“The fight against serious organized crime remains a key priority for the OM.” Last year, the OM conducted 2,504 new or ongoing criminal investigations into criminal organizations, 4 percent more than in 2024. These investigations resulted in 2,100 criminal cases last year. Dutch courts ruled on 1,386 organized crime cases in 2025, finding 1,234 suspects guilty and acquitting 118.

By far the majority of suspects, 568, were sentenced to prison for drug production and trafficking.

The total number of drug trafficking cases rose by 7 percent, and weapons trafficking rose by 10 percent last year, the OM said. The use of explosives and arson cases also surged 8 percent.

“Growth is also visible in the number of registered violent crimes. The number of public violent crimes and the number of threats have both increased by 7 percent. The number of assaults increased by 5 percent. The number of public order offenses has risen by 21 percent in a year,” the OM stated.

The OM pointed to a trend in declining “traditional crime” cases, like 21,600 home burglaries in 2025, down nearly 2,000 compared to the annual total for 2021. During that time, armed robberies also fell by 23 percent to 540.

“Pickpocketing decreased by 24 percent in just one year in 2024. In 2025, a further decline is visible, with 40 percent fewer incidents related to pickpocketing over a two-year period,” the OM report stated. There was also an 18 percent fall in shoplifting cases pressed against suspects last year compared to 2023.