Reports of sexual abuse in the last six months have increased significantly following the introduction of a new sex offence law and the publicity around the recent murder of 17-year-old Lisa, police have said.

Sexual violence aid organisation Centrum Seksueel Geweld also received more calls in the wake of the murder and the rape of another woman in Amsterdam.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook ever since,” sexual offences specialist Lidewijde van Lier told broadcaster NOS. “It is as busy as it was last August, just after the new sex offence law took effect,” she said.

The new law, introduced on July 1, is based on consent and includes other forms of sexual harassment, such as online harassment, sexting and sexual intimidation.

Penalties have also been raised. Rape is no longer subject to a statute of limitations and rape victims will no longer have to prove violence and force were used against them.

In the last six months, reports rose to 8,000, 1,100 more than in the same period last year. The number of prosecutions rose by more than a quarter to over 2,000.

“The new law is part of the explanation because it includes more that is punishable by law. Sexual violence is talked about more but there is no indication for a rise in incidents,” Van Lier said.

Backlog of cases

Some people feel encouraged to report incidents that happened years ago. “It may be that people just want to report the abuse to find closure. It does not automatically lead to a possible prosecution,” she said.

The increase has led to a backlog of cases for the specialist team, which is also struggling with staff shortages, Van Lier said. To make sure all victims of sexual abuse get the help they need, police are working with other organisations, for instance by sharing the assessment of a report so victims do not have to tell their story several times.

Police have also abandoned the “informative talk” with victims about the possible consequences of their report. “We have taken on board that people felt as if they were being advised not to report and that it could stop people coming forward,” Van Lier said.

Police are also cooperating with victim lawyers who can explain the process. “It is better coming from them, we have found,” she said.

Police are getting better at treating sexual abuse victims, a report from last year has shown, but there is room for improvement. “There is a very fine line between honest information about what will happen and putting people off. That depends on the individual officer,” Van Lier added.