Netherlands Plans to Criminalise Coercive Control and Psychological Abuse
The Dutch cabinet has proposed making coercive control and psychological abuse criminal offences, and raising the maximum sentence for killing a partner after a pattern of domestic violence.
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The Dutch cabinet wants to make coercive control and psychological abuse criminal offences, writing them explicitly into the law for the first time. The aim, according to the government, is to allow perpetrators to be prosecuted sooner, so that domestic violence can be stopped before it escalates. The measures are part of a wider proposal presented by Justice and Security Minister David van Weel, intended in part to help prevent femicide, the killing of women, which is often committed by a partner.
New offences: coercive control and psychological abuse
At present, these forms of abuse are not always punishable under Dutch law. Psychological abuse (in Dutch, psychische mishandeling) refers to a pattern of behaviour such as belittling, intimidating and bullying someone. Coercive control (dwingende controle) describes a situation in which one person seeks power over another, for example by systematically humiliating them, frightening them, restricting their freedom or keeping them under constant watch.
“It has major consequences for victims, but at the moment it is not always punishable,” Van Weel said of the current situation. “As a result, the police and the justice system can do too little, including in situations that are serious or escalating.”
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Acting before violence escalates
Experts regard psychological violence as a step that can precede physical violence and femicide. Victims, however, often find the threshold to report it too high, which in turn limits what the law can do. Under the new proposal, the Public Prosecution Service (the Openbaar Ministerie) would be able to act on its own initiative to arrest people for coercive control, psychological abuse and stalking.
The scale of the problem is significant. In a 2024 study, around 200,000 people said they had been victims of psychological violence, about 130,000 women and 70,000 men.
Tougher sentences for killing a partner
The proposal also responds to a difficulty that arises in court. In femicide cases, it is often impossible to prove premeditation, so the perpetrator is convicted of manslaughter (doodslag) rather than murder (moord), which carries a lower sentence. Van Weel wants judges to be able to punish more severely when a fatal crime was preceded by coercive control or psychological abuse.
In those specific cases, the maximum sentence for manslaughter would rise from 25 years to 30 years, or even life imprisonment, meaning a perpetrator could face the same penalty as for murder. The minister argued that this is justifiable because, as he put it, the perpetrator has slowly worked towards that moment over a long period.
Sextortion also covered
The same bill addresses sextortion, the blackmailing of someone with sexual photos or videos. At present this is only punishable if the victim is actually forced into doing something; under the proposal, the threat alone would be enough to bring a prosecution.
A draft, not yet law
The plan is a first draft, which Van Weel published on Monday so that experts and members of the public can give feedback through a public consultation. Because these behaviours involve patterns rather than single incidents, they can be harder to define and prove than physical violence, which is one reason the draft is being opened up for scrutiny. After the consultation, the cabinet will review it again before sending a final version to the two houses of parliament, the Tweede Kamer and the Eerste Kamer, which will debate it and decide whether to approve it.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence or abuse, in the Netherlands you can contact Veilig Thuis, the advice and reporting point for domestic abuse, on 0800 2000. The line is free and available around the clock.