Last November, several buildings in Rotterdam coloured orange to draw attention to violence against women. This is necessary, because in 2023, more than 3,300 reports of domestic violence against women were made in Rotterdam. Prof.dr. Tamar Fischer (Erasmus School of Law) is researching the sense of safety of women and will talk about recent developments in the context of International Women's Day 2025.
Violence against women is not only a problem in Rotterdam. Research shows that 41 percent of Dutch women have experienced physical or sexual violence. That is higher than the European average of 30,7 percent. A painful fact. How come?
'It is difficult to determine whether the number of cases of domestic violence is actually increasing. Has the number increased because there is more attention for it, and therefore more people are reporting it? Or does the police register it better by coding violent crimes?', Fischer wonders. According to her, the police classified all violent incidents under one category for a long time. As a result, it was often unclear when it was a case of domestic violence.
What "domestic violence" entails has also changed in recent years. Instead of just male-female relationships, violence by a housemate or elder abuse can also fall under domestic violence. According to Fischer, there is a clear link between domestic violence and substance abuse and psychiatric problems. In the worst case, domestic violence can escalate to femicide.
Femicide
According to the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (het Openbaar Ministerie), femicide is the intentional killing of women or girls because they are a woman. In 2022, 48 women in the Netherlands died from femicide. In many cases, this was by a (former) partner.
Recognising signs of domestic violence
Fischer explains that domestic violence is not just about physical violence. 'It also includes psychological violence, such as manipulation, domination and control. Think of someone who is not allowed to make their own choices, is not allowed to go outside when they want or is not allowed to have contact with certain people. These are subtle but often clear signals that someone is not doing so well.'
Leaving is usually harder than you think
'Friends and family are quick to say: "Why don't you stand up for yourself? Just leave him!", but they don't understand how complex many situations of domestic violence are.' According to Fischer, there is often an emotional dependency relationship. In addition, sometimes someone is also financially dependent on their partner.
Some women do not want to leave their relationship because they hope that things will turn out well. These women in particular often feel that they cannot ask for help. 'They feel that they have chosen it themselves to be in the situation', says Fischer. 'But there must always be someone who can help. Especially in such complex situations.' In short: making a decision and then implementing it can be very complicated.
'Sometimes the risks of serious violence actually increase when someone withdraws from the relationship or when a police report is filed'
Prof.dr. Tamar Fischer
Erasmus School of Law
Be available as a family member or friend
The right steps to take vary greatly depending on the situation. 'Sometimes the risks of serious violence actually increase when someone withdraws from the relationship or when a police report is file.' However, that does not mean that she should not take that step. 'Be available to the victim as a friend or family member and do not judge. Keep listening and together figure out a way for someone to regain their autonomy and safety. Get help from establishments that specialise in domestic violence, such as the Center for Sexual Violence or Veilig Thuis. They can help with filing a police report or with drawing up a safety plan.'
Neighbourhood police officers plays an important role, but cannot do everything
According to Fischer, a lot of knowledge has been gained in recent years at aid agencies, but this knowledge has not yet been properly disseminated throughout the chain. 'That is also a terribly complicated task', she says. 'Neighbourhood police officers play a very important role in domestic violence, because they are close to society. But they also have a lot on their plate, given the shortage of officers. It is difficult to always have them in the right place and provide them with the right expertise.'
The harmful reality of victim blaming
There is increasing attention for violence against women and femicide. According to Fischer, this is a positive development, because the problem literally takes place behind closed doors and the figures do not lie. 'I think that the media generally handles these topics carefully', says Fischer. 'What we still need to combat is victim blaming. Like with the "Bangalijsten". The fact that they exist is horrible, but the way the public then reacts to them, saying things like "They must have asked for it themselves", is actually much more harmful.' Fortunately, there is also increasing attention for the role played by bystanders and for dealing with perpetrators of violence.
Rotterdam helplines for domestic violence
- Filomena, the Center for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
- Veilig Thuis Rotterdam Rijnmond
- Center for Sexual Violence Rotterdam
- Rotterdam Police
- Professor
- More information
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