A documentary series about nuns has led to a marked increase in reports of historical abuse in Flanders, Flemish Justice Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) said on Tuesday.
The series “De Nonnen” (The Nuns), a four-part documentary series about abuse and misconduct committed by Catholic nuns in Flanders has prompted dozens of people to contact Comeb, a commission dealing with cases of violence, abuse and neglect.
In 2025, Comeb has received 180 new reports, 60 more than the previous year. Justice Minister Demir said that 41 of these reports could be directly linked to the broadcast of "De Nonnen."
Dozens of these cases date back at least 10 years. All those who contacted Comeb were adults at the time they made their reports, though figures show that 82% of cases were minors when the alleged abuse took place. In 45% of cases, the reported violence was prolonged or/and repeated.
Reports to the Flemish contact point for abusive and violent behaviour also exploded, receiving 1,545 reports last year, an increase of 62% compared with 2024. Since its launched in September 2023, the service has received 2,617 reports.
However, the increase does not necessarily mean that abusive behaviour itself has become more common, Demir explained.
She said greater public awareness of the contact point and increased attention to abuse had made it easier for victims to come forward.
Unwanted sexual behaviour was the largest category of reports, accounting for 41.5% of the total.
