One in five victims of domestic violence in the Netherlands is male, says Patricia Gho, director of an organisation to help batttered men, in Tuesday’s Trouw.

The figures coincide with the opening of a safe house for men who are victims of domestic violence, revenge attacks and people trafficking in The Hague.
In total, there are now four safe houses for men – located in Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam – offering 40 places.
‘There is an enormous taboo on this subject,’ says Gho. ‘Nationally, of the 63,000 registered cases of domestic violence, almost 20% of the victims are male. That is 12,000 people. But remember that just one in 10 dare to make a complaint.’
Karin Geurts, who manages the new centre, says that it is even more difficult for men to come forward than women. ‘Men are supposed to be strong, to take care of their family. And asking for help does not fit into that,’ she tells the paper.
Victims of people trafficking can be the most difficult to help, Gho says. ‘They don’t know the language or the culture, have been interviewed by the police and are terrified that the traffickers will find them,’ she points out.