Psychological violence to become a punishable offence
State Secretary for Justice and Security Ingrid Coenradie is introducing a legislative bill to make psychological violence a separate punishable offence. She made this commitment today during the parliamentary committee debate on sexual offences and women’s safety and security concerns in the House of Representatives. Psychological violence, particularly coercive control and intimate terrorism, is one of the red flags for femicide.
In addition to the bill, efforts are being made to improve evidence gathering for psychological violence. While it is currently possible under the Dutch Criminal Code to prosecute someone for using psychological violence, it is not always feasible to gather sufficient evidence to discharge the burden of proof. A pilot project, due to start in early 2025, therefore aims to establish clear working arrangements to improve evidence gathering. It will specify which facts and information need to be included in case files, enabling the Public Prosecution Service to proceed with prosecution effectively. There will also be a focus on improving expertise so that various agencies can recognise signs of psychological violence more quickly and accurately. An example of such a sign is when someone is afraid to speak in the presence of their partner. Together with making psychological violence an offence, this aims to ensure that it can be better punished.
The pilot project will focus on staff from organisations including Veilig Thuis (Safe at Home, the domestic violence advice and reporting centre), the police and the Public Prosecution Service. It is initially scheduled to run for six months, after which consideration will be given to how the insights gained can be effectively disseminated to other regions in the Netherlands.
State Secretary Coenradie: ‘Psychological violence has an enormous impact on victims and is one of the red flags for femicide. To prevent femicide and protect women, we must thus focus on effectively combating.