Veilig Thuis requests €70 million to address domestic violence reporting backlog

Veilig Thuis, the Dutch organization for reporting domestic violence and child abuse, has requested €70 million from the cabinet to address rising workloads and growing waiting lists. The 25 regional organizations issued a joint statement claiming they have reached the limit of their capacity to handle incoming reports.

Data from the Landelijk Netwerk Veilig Thuis shows a significant increase in demand. The number of advisories provided rose from 122,050 in 2020 to 178,925 in 2025, a nearly 47 percent increase. While the law requires reports to be assessed within five working days, many are not being handled within this timeframe. Currently, the average waiting time is approximately two months, with some cases exceeding six months.

Regional directors, including Liesbeth Kleisen of Veilig Thuis IJsselland, noted that while increased reporting may indicate citizens are better at finding help, it has created unsustainable pressure. In response to the request, Minister Sterk stated that the government must first map out the specific causes of these bottlenecks through discussions with local officials and the organization before determining if additional funding will be allocated.