Last year, victim support services in Flanders opened 12,310 new cases, marking a 1.88% increase compared to 2024.
The trend of rising case numbers has been ongoing for several years, and Flanders has made substantial investments in victim support. Since 2019, the number of new cases has more than doubled from 6,052 to 12,310, while the staff of victim support experts grew by 125% in the same period.
Flemish Justice Minister Zuhal Demir expressed satisfaction with this progress, noting that the smaller increase in 2025 indicates success in their goal of offering assistance to victims of serious crimes.
Part of the limited growth is attributed to a victim application, launched as a pilot project in 2024. Through this system, prisons notify victim support services when convicted offenders of crimes such as murder, stalking, or serious sexual offences apply for electronic monitoring.
If such applications are granted with a restriction preventing contact with victims, victims can request that offenders be monitored via GPS. This system alerts victims if the offender comes too close, allowing for immediate police intervention if necessary. Minister Demir highlighted this initiative as an added layer of security for victims.
Cases involving crimes against individuals make up 45% of all files, with offences such as murder, manslaughter, and stalking being the most common. Sexual offences account for approximately 40% of cases, making them the second-largest category.
