Violence against women and domestic violence in relation to the Istanbul Convention

• Author: Marlies Vegter
• Pages: 71-73

71

10 Violence against women and domestic violence in relation to the Ist anbul

Convention

10.1 General (legal) context

10.1.1 Surveys and reports on issues of violence against women and domestic violence

There are many surveys and reports on violence against women and domest ic violence.

The issue of violence against women is presented as a priority in the national Emancipation

Plan 2018-2021, which is the central document on emancipation.204 The Emancipation Plan

mentions a number of plans and projects in the area of violence against women, but it

does not give an entire overview.

In a separate strategic document entitled ‘Violence does not bel ong anywhere: tackling

domestic violence and child abuse, 2018-2021’ the programme to combat violence against

women and child abus e for the years 2018-2021 is outlined.205 The document describes

domestic violence and child abuse as physical forms of violence and emotional abuse, such

as humiliation, neglect and financial exploitation. It states that domesti c violence,

including abuse of the elderly and child abuse, is one of the biggest problems in our society.

The programme is built up along three lines of action: (1) to get violence in the picture

faster an d bette r, (2) to put a quick and lasting stop to violence, and (3) attention for

specific groups. With the fi rst line of action, t he government is striving to speed up the

discovery of domestic violence and child abuse. Measures that will be taken in this respect

are, inter alia, starting a public campaign to encourage people to report domestic violence

and child abuse, alerting employers to signals of domestic violence, strengthening the

skills of professionals who work with the code for reporting domestic violence and

strengthening the cent res for advi ce on and the reporting of domestic violence and child

abuse, the so-called ‘Safe at Home centres’. These measures thus target the general

population, employers and professional s working in the area of domestic violence. No

specific targets are established, and impact assessment has not been carried out yet, since

the programme started in 2018.

The second line of action is directed at stopping the violence and creating lasting solutions.

Concrete measures that are announced are, amongst others, the increase of the penalties

for systematic child abuse and the extension of the limitation period in th e sense that the

limitation period shall start on the day a child becomes 18 years of age. In addition, victims

will be brought to safe places faster than before and they will be given more accura te

professional help. For this purpose, professionals from different branches will have to

cooperate closer than before. More cooperation is also needed in the tr eatment of the

perpetrator. Further, more information will be given to schools to enable them to support

abused children. These measures mainly target the professionals in t he area of domestic

violence. No specific targets are established, and impact assessment has not been carried

out yet, since the programme started in 2018.

The third line of action addresses specific groups which need protection . The strategic

document specifically mentions victims of loverboys, abuse of the elderly, sexual violence

and children in a pr ecarious family situation, including complex divorces. Here too, the

government wishes to ensure that victims and perpetrators come into view as quic kly as

possible and that the victim’s safety is restored qu ickly and sustainably. Here too , no

204 Minister of Education, Culture and Science (2018), Emancipatienota 2018-2021 (Emancipation Plan 2018-

2021, Kamerstukken (Parliamentary Papers) 2017-2018, no. 30420, 270, 29 March 2018. Available at

https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-30420-270.html.

205 Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Minister of Judical Protection (2018), Geweld hoort nergens thuis:

aanpak van huiselijk geweld en kindermishandeling 2018-2021 (Violence does not belong anywhere:

tackling domestic violence and child abuse, 2018-2021). Available at

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/beleidsnota-s/2018/04/25/geweld-hoort-nergens-thuis-aanpak-

huiselijk-geweld-en-kindermishandeling.