Reports of child abuse in Flanders have reached an unprecedented high, Belgian newspapers, De Morgen and De Standaard, reported on Thursday.
In 2023, the child abuse support centres and chat service Nupraatikerover.be received a total of 7,541 unique reports. This number overturns the sharp decline in reports seen in 2022, with current numbers representing the highest ever recorded. 10,671 were children mentioned in these reports, the greatest number ever noted.
"It’s a positive sign," says the director of the Flemish Expertise Centre for Child Abuse (VECK), Tim Stroobants, "We are all becoming more aware of it."
Approximately half of the reports are made by healthcare professionals, such as general practitioners or hospitals, or via schools and student guidance centres. The most significant increase, however, is noted with the Nupraatikerover.be chat service, where reports rose by 20%.
The majority of reports usually concern emotional abuse and neglect (35%), physical abuse and neglect (30%), or sexual abuse (16 %).
"This is really just the tip of the iceberg," warns Stroobants, "We estimate that 3% of children and young people are growing up in situations of child abuse."
