Center for Sexual Violence reports a strong increase in reports. « Such a quick increase never seen before »

Since last year, the Center for Sexual Violence (CSG) has been an unprecedented increase in the number of registrations of victims of rape or assault.

In the second half of 2024, sixteen centers a total of 2,344 people with a request for help throughout the country reported to the experience of sexual violence. That is an increase of 54 percent compared to the first half of last year when 1,519 people asked for help, according to the Thursday published annual report. « We have never seen such a quick increase in registrations, » says clinical psychologist IVA Bicanic, director of the National Center for Sexual Violence and also Head of National Psychotrauma Center in the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht.

The CSG does not have a substantive overview of the different types of sexual violence that people experience, but Bicanic assumes that the increase is mainly caused by the introduction of the new sexual crimes Act. After a detailed debate on sexual abuse in society, this law came into effect on 1 July last year. « It is only possible that the increased attention for this problem has also led to more declarations and requests for help, » says Bicanic.

The trend that was used last year will continue this year

In this new law, more forms of sexually exceeding behavior have become punishable, such as having sexual contact while there is no full mutual consent. Sex must be voluntary. Sexual harassment has also become punishable, both offline and online. 30 percent of the registrations at the CSG came from minor victims in 2024.

Police

The police also see an increase in sexual offenses. In the second half of 2024, a sexual crime was reported to the police considerably more often. From July to December 2024, that number even increased by 16 percent compared to that period in previous years. The precise number of reports of sexual violence was 3,567 last year. 3,151 declarations were made in 2023. The OM said in the recently published annual report of 2024 that the increased declarations « will continue to work in the influx of suspects at the OM, as soon as the police have concluded the investigation into the criminal offenses ».

Bicanic says it assumes a further rise in victims of sexual crimes that report. « The trend that started last year is also continuing this year. » She fears that due to the increase in registrations « the quality of our care is under pressure. If we want to guide this increase well, and want to offer the same quality to more people who report as a result of political and social developments, then money must be added. Preferably, » said Bicanic.

Since 2018 there has been national coverage of sixteen centers of sexual violence, which can be reached 24/7 on 0800-0188. Around 160 case managers now work at the sixteen centers: psychologists, nurses and social workers. Characteristic is the cooperation between the police and (medical) assistance, with a special case manager for the victim.

An analysis of recent suicides shows that of women more than 40 percent are victims of sexual abuse

Bicanic points out that sexual abuse often leads to depression, addictions, eating and sleep disorders, medical complaints, personality problems and the risk of recurrence. « Fast and good help can prevent this, » she says. « A psychosocial autopsy analysis of recent suicides shows that the women who take their own lives are more than 40 percent victim of sexual abuse. »

The CSG also noticed that the current public debate on sexual abuse has direct effect on interest and requests for help to the Sexual Violence Centers on its own website. In 2024 it was visited 331,290 times. An increase of 13 percent compared to 2023.

A visitor’s peak was in November. It happened after the former State Secretary of Justice and Security Ingrid Coenradie – responsible for the approach to sex offenses – had frankly told in parliament that she had been the victim of sexual abuse as a thirteen -year -old girl herself. Normally a thousand to two thousand people visit the website every day. This number rose to thirty thousand website visitors in the two days after the State Secretary shared her story.

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