This country profile presents the administrative data collected in Belgium during the 2023–2024 data collection exercise with the support of national data providers and national researchers.
The list of 13 indicators developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) for the purposes of this data collection exercise is presented in Annex 1.
The data collected in other countries and the methodological report are published in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database.
Key findings of EIGE’s 2023–2024 data collection exercise
The figure below outlines the main findings from EIGE’s most recent administrative data collection exercise on intimate partner violence and domestic violence in Belgium.
FIGURE 1Main findings
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Offences of intimate partner violence and domestic violence
- In 2022, 39,397 offences of intimate partner violence and 49,093 offences of domestic violence were recorded by police in Belgium.
- Physical and psychological violence are the most common forms of intimate partner violence and domestic violence recorded by police on an annual basis.
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Homicide
- In 2022, police recorded 14 offences of homicide committed by intimate partners, and 25 offences of homicide committed by domestic perpetrators.
- Official statistics are not available on women victims of these forms of homicide.
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Rape
- In 2022, police recorded 80 offences of rape committed by intimate partners, and 128 offences of rape committed by domestic perpetrators.
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Protecting victims of domestic violence
- In 2022, 508 restraining order applications for victims of domestic violence were filed.
- In the same year, 506 male perpetrators in temporary residence ban cases involving domestic violence were recorded.
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Perpetrators of intimate partner violence and domestic violence
- In 2022, 52,637 men were prosecuted for offences of intimate partner violence.
- In the same year, 12,681 men were prosecuted for offences of domestic violence (excluding intimate partner violence).
Intimate partner violence
EIGE defines intimate partner violence as ‘any act of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occurs between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence with the victim’.
In Belgium, intimate partner violence is criminalised under Article 410 of the Criminal Code and Circular COL 4/2006, which aims to combat spousal violence.
Offences of intimate partner violence
In 2022, 39,397 offences of intimate partner violence were recorded by police in Belgium.
Official statistics on the number of victims of intimate partner violence are not available. In addition, sex disaggregated data is also not available, making it difficult to assess the gendered nature of this phenomenon.
Figure 2 Annual number of offences of intimate partner violence against total victims (Indicator 2), 2014-2022
Findings from the EU survey on gender-based violence (EU-GBV survey) show that 31 % of ever-partnered women in Belgium have experienced psychological violence, physical violence (including threats), or sexual violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
Offences of specific forms of intimate partner violence
During EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise, national data providers in Belgium shared data on the annual number of offences of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic intimate partner violence recorded by police (Indicators 4-7).
Figure 3 Annual number of offences of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic intimate partner violence against total victims (Indicators 4-7), 2014-2022
EIGE’s data shows that police record a greater number of offences of physical intimate partner violence than psychological intimate partner violence annually. However, data from the latest EU-GBV survey reveals that experiences of psychological violence may be more common amongst women.
During their lifetime, 9.5 % of ever-partnered women in Belgium have experienced physical intimate partner violence (including threats), while 30 % have experienced psychological intimate partner violence. This gap between administrative and survey data may suggest that victims of psychological violence are less likely to report to the police than those of physical violence.
Domestic violence
EIGE defines domestic violence as ‘all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic violence that occur within the family or domestic unit, irrespective of biological or legal family ties, or between former or current spouses or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence as the victim’.
In Belgium, domestic violence is criminalised under Article 410 of the Criminal Code and Circular COL 3/2006, which aims to combat intra-familial violence and of extra-familial child abuse.
Offences of domestic violence
In 2022, police recorded 49,093 offences of domestic violence against total victims. Data is not available on the number of victims of domestic violence, or offences of against women.
Figure 4 Annual number of offences of domestic violence against total victims (Indicator 2), 2014-2022
While EIGE’s data does not show the number of women affected by domestic violence, relevant insights can be gleaned from the latest EU-GBV survey. Results of the survey show that 20 % of women in Belgium have experienced physical violence (including threats) or sexual violence by a domestic perpetrator during adulthood.
Offences of specific forms of domestic violence
As part of EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise, national data providers in Belgium shared data on the annual number of offences of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic domestic violence recorded by police (Indicators 4-7).
Figure 5 Annual number of offences of physical, psychological, sexual, and economic domestic violence (Indicators 4-7), 2014-2022
EIGE’s data on domestic violence shows that the police record more offences of physical violence than of sexual violence each year. However, findings from the latest EU-GBV survey show that, during adulthood, only slightly more women have experienced physical violence (including threats) by a domestic perpetrator (11 %), compared to sexual violence by a domestic perpetrator (8.7 %).
Homicide: Number of offences in recent years
EIGE defines femicide as ‘killing of women and girls because of their gender’. It is the most severe manifestation of gender-based violence. EIGE’s femicide classification framework distinguishes between killings committed by intimate partners and family members and other forms of femicide, which are less common.
Currently, data is not available in Belgium on victims or offences of femicide. However, the Belgian Parliament adopted the #StopFeminicide Law in 2023. The law includes provisions to produce official femicide statistics accompanied by annual reports and biannual recommendations for policy makers, as well as actions to protect victims of gender-based violence.
Findings from EIGE’s data collection exercise show, in 2022, police recorded 14 offences of intimate partner homicide and 25 offences of domestic homicide.
Figure 6 Annual number of offences of intimate partner homicide and domestic homicide against total victims (Indicator 9), 2014-2022
Official statistics are not available on the number of women victims of intimate partner homicide or domestic homicide. However, since 2017, the Stop Feminicide blog has calculated the number of women killed annually, based on data retrieved from news sources.
According to the blog, between 2017 and 2023, 211 women were killed in Belgium, often by current or former intimate partners. To combat this issue, Belgium’s #StopFeminicide Law acknowledges that the phenomenon is a distinct form of homicide and aims to publish official statistics that identify the causes of femicide and the typical relationships between victims and the perpetrators.
Most femicide victims experience non-lethal forms of gender-based violence before they are killed. Femicide is often the culmination of a pattern of abuse.
According to the latest EU-GBV survey, women victims of intimate partner violence experience significant consequences to their mental and physical wellbeing. However, most women victims of intimate partner violence in Belgium do not report to police (34 %). Therefore, authorities should raise awareness on the ‘warning sings’ of femicide and enhance access to support services for victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence.
Rape: Number of offences in recent years
EIGE defines rape as ‘sexual penetration, whether vaginal, anal or oral, through the use of object or body parts, without consent, using force, coercion or by taking advantage of the vulnerability of the victim’.
In 2022, Belgium adopted the Law amending the Penal Code with regard to sexual criminal law. Article 12 defines rape as ‘any act which consists of sexual penetration of any nature and by any means whatsoever, committed against a person or with the assistance of a person who does not consent’.
In 2022, police recorded 80 offences of rape by an intimate partner, and 128 offences of rape by a domestic perpetrator.
In the same year, police recorded even higher numbers of sexual violence offences by intimate partners (see the section ‘Offences of specific forms of intimate partner violence’) and domestic perpetrators (see the section ‘Offences of specific forms of domestic violence’) because sexual violence encompasses a wider range of offences.
Figure 7 Annual number of offences of intimate partner rape and domestic rape against total victims (Indicator 8), 2014-2022
Results from a study conducted on the nature, magnitude and impacts of sexual violence in Belgium indicate that 81 % of women living in the country (aged 16 to 69 years) have experienced some form of sexual victimisation in their lives.4 Moreover, 42 % reported experiences of ‘hands-on’ sexual violence, which involved rape for 19 % of the women.5
Protecting victims of domestic violence
Protection orders in the context of violence against women are defined as ‘a legal injunction that requires an offender to refrain from doing certain acts and to stay away from the victim’. Protection orders can be adopted under criminal or civil laws. They are fast legal remedies to protect the persons at risk of any form of violence by prohibiting or restraining certain behaviour by the perpetrator.
Restraining order applications for domestic violence victims
In 2022, 508 restraining orders applications were filed for victims of domestic violence. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of restraining order applications has increased (from 161 to 508). This increase may be attributed to various factors, such as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as social factors which may have encouraged victims to report domestic violence.
Figure 8 Annual number of restraining order applications for victims of domestic violence (2018-2022) (Indicator 10)
Residence bans for perpetrators of domestic violence
In 2022, 506 male perpetrators were recorded in temporary residence ban cases involving domestic violence. In the same year, far fewer women perpetrators were recorded in similar cases (45).
Figure 9 Annual number of male and female perpetrators in temporary residence ban cases involving domestic violence (2014-2022) (Indicator 10)
Between 2014 and 2022, the annual number of perpetrators in temporary residence ban cases involving domestic violence grew significantly. This increase is due, in part, to greater awareness among public prosecutors of this measure. Awareness of these temporary residence bans, even without an offence, is rising, and their use may become more frequent in the future.
Perpetrators of intimate partner and domestic violence
A perpetrator is defined as a ‘person brought into formal contact with the police and suspected/arrested or cautioned for a criminal offence’.
Most of EIGE’s indicators collect data on all perpetrators (including male and female perpetrators). However, the data for Indicators 3 and 11-13 (on perpetrators reported, prosecuted, sentenced, and held in prison) refers strictly to male perpetrators.
Perpetrators reported
In 2022, 9,867 men were reported to police for intimate partner violence against total victims. In the same year, 13,090 men were reported for domestic violence (including intimate partner violence).
Figure 10 Annual number of male perpetrators reported for intimate partner violence and domestic violence (2014-2022) (Indicator 3)
Perpetrators prosecuted
In 2022, 52,637 men defendants were prosecuted in cases of intimate partner violence. The data refers specifically to intra-family violence within a couple.
In the same year, 12,681 men defendants were prosecuted in cases of domestic violence. The data refers to intra-family violence against a descendant, and against other family members, and excludes violence within the couple.
Figure 11 Annual number of male defendants prosecuted in cases of intimate partner violence and domestic violence (2014-2022) (Indicator 11)
Summary of data availability and next steps
Findings from EIGE’s 2023-2024 data collection exercise in Belgium underscore the persistent threat of intimate partner violence and domestic violence to the safety and well-being of women and girls.
The collection of robust administrative data on intimate partner violence and domestic violence is essential to ensure effective policymaking, resource allocation, and the development of targeted interventions to support victims and prevent further violence.
EIGE’s research shows that, in Belgium, police data is widely available on offences and perpetrators of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. However, data is not available on offences specifically against women. Moreover, data is not available on victims of these forms of violence (i.e., only offence-level data is available). The same issues also affect the data shared on homicide, and on rape.
Justice sector data is even more limited in Belgium. However, EIGE managed to retrieve data on restraining order applications for victims of domestic violence, and perpetrators in temporary residence ban cases involving domestic violence.
Regarding the data on perpetrators, EIGE has gathered data on male perpetrators reported for intimate partner violence and domestic violence, and those prosecuted for domestic violence. However, data has not been shared on perpetrators sentenced or held in prison for their crimes. This makes it challenging to explore the extent to which men are brought to justice for violence against women.
In May 2024, the EU adopted Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Article 44 establishes that Member States must work with EIGE to collect administrative data on these forms of violence and must adhere to common standards. EIGE remains committed to supporting Member States in their efforts to collect comprehensive, reliable data on violence against women and domestic violence.
Further details on the data collected during EIGE’s 2023–2024 data collection exercise are available in EIGE’s Gender Statistics Database and on its website.
Annexes
Annex 1: List of EIGE’s 13 indicators on intimate partner violence and domestic violence