The number of people reporting sexual violence in the Netherlands rose sharply in 2024, with victim support centers citing the country’s new sexual offenses law as a likely cause for the unprecedented increase, NRC reports.
According to the annual report released Thursday by the National Center for Sexual Violence (CSG), a total of 2,344 individuals sought help for rape or sexual assault at one of the 16 CSG locations across the country during the second half of 2024. That marks a 54 percent increase compared to the first half of the year, when 1,519 people contacted the centers.
“This is a rise in reports that we’ve never seen before,” Iva Bicanic, clinical psychologist and director of the National Center for Sexual Violence, told NRC. Bicanic also heads the National Psychotrauma Center at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht.
The CSG does not categorize the types of sexual violence experienced by victims, but Bicanic believes the sharp rise is directly linked to the implementation of the new Sexual Offenses Act, which took effect on July 1, 2024, following a lengthy national debate on sexual abuse. “The increased attention to this issue must have led to more police reports and more people seeking help,” Bicanic told NRC.
The law broadened the legal definition of sexual misconduct. It criminalizes more forms of sexually transgressive behavior, including sexual activity without full mutual consent. Under the new rules, sex must be voluntary. Sexual harassment—both offline and online—is also now punishable by law.
Minors accounted for 30 percent of the CSG’s reported cases in 2024.
Police figures support the reported trend. From July through December 2024, the number of sexual offense reports made to police increased by 16 percent compared to previous years. A total of 3,567 official police reports of sexual violence were filed in 2024, up from 3,151 in 2023.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM), in its own 2024 annual report, stated that it expects the increase in police reports to “result in a higher influx of suspects at the OM once police investigations into these criminal offenses are completed.”
Bicanic warned that the sharp rise in victims seeking support could overwhelm the system. “The trend that began last year is continuing into this year,” she told NRC. “I’m concerned that the quality of care we offer is under pressure. If we want to properly respond to this increase and continue providing the same quality of care to more people, in light of political and societal developments, then more funding is needed—preferably at the national level.”
Bicanic emphasized the serious mental health consequences of sexual violence, stating that it often leads to depression, addiction, eating and sleep disorders, medical issues, personality problems, and increased risk of revictimization. “Quick and effective help can prevent this,” she told NRC. “A psychosocial autopsy analysis of recent suicides shows that more than 40 percent of women who take their own lives were victims of sexual abuse.”
The CSG has had nationwide coverage since 2018. The sixteen centers operate 24/7 and can be reached at 0800-0188. Approximately 160 professionals work across the locations, including psychologists, nurses, and social workers. Each case is managed by a dedicated case manager, and the approach involves close cooperation between police and medical or psychosocial care providers.
Public awareness has reportedly also risen. The CSG’s website saw 331,290 visits in 2024—a 13 percent increase compared to 2023. A notable spike in traffic occurred in November, following a powerful speech in the Tweede Kamer by former State Secretary for Justice and Security Ingrid Coenradie. Coenradie, who had been responsible for addressing sexual offenses, revealed that she had been sexually abused at age 13. After Coenradie’s disclosure, daily visits to the CSG website surged from the typical 1,000 to 2,000 range to 30,000 per day for two consecutive days.