The number of murders in the Netherlands rose to 176 last year, 12 more than in 2007, reports the national statistics office CBS on Wednesday.

The increase was due to more men being killed, seven out of 10 victims was male. And over one-third of these died from gun shot injuries.
The number of women murdered fell in 2008, says the CBS. Of the women who were killed, 80% were murdered in their own homes.
The highest number of murders took place in Rotterdam (18), followed by Amsterdam (17), The Hague (9) and Utrecht (5).
In European terms the Netherlands has an average level of murders.