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The government agenda
with the cooperative efforts to tackle domestic violence, and described the ways in which domestic violence
can be tackled, in an integrated manner and in collaboration with the various disciplines, in which
tasks and responsibilities were clearly established for the Public Prosecution Service and the police.
All of this resulted in an increase in the number of intervention programmes, an increase in publicity,
and the provision of information via the Internet, as well as more structural policy developments. 105 In
the period that followed, various progress reports on the topic of domestic violence emerged. In 2006,
Bureau Beke published the report ‘Binnen zonder kloppen – Omvang, aard en achtergronden van huiselijk geweld
in 2005 op basis van landelijke politiecijfers’ [Entry without knocking – Extent, nature and background of domestic
violence in 2005 on the basis of national police statistics’] 106 . This report also stated the number
of children who had been victims and witnesses of domestic violence: 2,567 children under 18 years of
age had actually been victims of domestic violence themselves and one in ten children had witnessed
domestic violence. Within this group, 57.2% of children had been a victim of sexual abuse. Following
an investigation into the links between cruelty to animals and domestic violence, the Task Force Huiselijk
Geweld en Dierenmishandeling [Task Force on Domestic Violence and Cruelty to Animals] was established
in 2009. 107 This Task Force intended to elaborate on the recommendations from the research and to
stimulate new partnerships in order to create greater awareness of the topic. 108
In January 2011, the Minister of Security and Justice sent a letter to the House of Representatives 109 regarding
the findings of an investigation into domestic violence and a response to the phenomenon. In
almost 75 percent of the cases of manifest domestic violence, physical violence (65%) or sexual violence
(8%) was involved. <strong>Child</strong> abuse was not specifically included in the findings. The letter also referred to
current developments within the framework of the measures to tackle child abuse, which are specifically
directed towards children as victims or witnesses of domestic violence. A possible connection with
online sexual violence against children is not mentioned in this letter.
2.5 Health, Welfare and Sport
The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport now has a number of policy programmes that are (in)directly
involved in tackling sexual violence against children. First of all, the Ministry employs the overarching
topic of sexual health. Amongst others, this topic consists of programmes aimed at the prevention of
sexual coercion. Secondly, the Ministry is responsible for the Regional Plan to Tackle <strong>Child</strong> Abuse. <strong>Child</strong>
abuse also covers sexual violence against children. The two ‘analogue’ pillars will be singled out below.
2.5.1 Sexual health
On 27 November 2009, the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport sent a letter to the House on
the topic of ‘Sexual health’. Amongst other things, the letter contained a description of the actions the
Ministry was undertaking in terms of combating sexual violence (towards children), and contained information
about sexual education, preventing sexual coercion and protection (for example with regard
to victims of ‘loverboys’). 110
105 Römkens, 2010.
106 Ferwerda, 2006.
107 Enders-Slegers & Janssen, 2009.
108 Parliamentary Papers II 2009/10, 28 345, no.106.
109 Parliamentary Papers II 2010/11, 28 345, no.109.
110 Parliamentary Papers II 2009/10, 32 239, no.1.
107