Nearly 10% of Belgians have experienced incest, according to a survey by the 'Patouche' and 'Together Against Incest,' collectives, which describe the issue as a national emergency.
The survey, conducted in April among a representative sample of over 2,000 people, estimates over one million victims. However, organisers stress that this figure is a minimum since the study excludes groups such as psychiatric patients, homeless individuals, victims who have died by suicide, and those living with traumatic amnesia or denial.
Legally, incest in Belgium is defined as sexual acts committed against a minor by family members up to the third degree. According to the survey results, 7% of Belgians report experiencing incest before the age of 18, rising to 9% (12% of women and 6% of men) when cousins are included as perpetrators.
Women account for two-thirds of all victims, while men make up three-quarters of perpetrators. In a third of cases involving victims under 55, abuse began between the ages of four and six. A quarter of these victims report being assaulted by multiple family members.
Cousins are the most frequently identified perpetrators at 24%, followed by uncles (23%), fathers (18%), and brothers (13%). In 69% of cases, the abuser was an adult, while 25% involved a minor.
Incest appears to occur equally across social classes but is reported more often in Brussels (14%) compared to Flanders (7%) and Wallonia (6%).
Victims primarily endured sexual assaults (86%), including rape (45%) and acts of exhibitionism (45%). Other experiences reported include repeated sexual confidences (40%), sexual harassment (33%), witnessing sexual violence against others (17%), and being forced to pose for erotic or pornographic photos or videos (13%).
