News item | 21-11-2025 | 3:00 PM
The government wants brothers and sisters of victims who have died or suffered serious and permanent injury due to the actions of someone else to be entitled to compensation for affection damage from now on. The Council of Ministers has decided to submit a bill for consultation to this end. This also introduces compensation for affection damage in the Caribbean Netherlands. In addition, the fixed compensation amounts for affection damage will be increased.
Compensation
Compensation for affectionate damages is a form of compensation for relatives in connection with the grief they experience because a loved one dies or is seriously and permanently injured. In short, partners, parents and children of victims can currently receive this compensation. According to the cabinet, this should also be possible for brothers and sisters.
State Secretary Rutte of Justice and Security: “In previous cases we have seen that the impossibility of compensation for affection damage for brothers and sisters can be experienced as very painful and unjust. This bill strengthens the position of brothers and sisters as surviving relatives; a great wish of both the House of Representatives and the cabinet. I am pleased that the bill can now be submitted for consultation.”
WODC research
Last year, the WODC concluded after an integrated evaluation study of the law that it works well: the law gives recognition to relatives and relatives of victims. The bottleneck surrounding brothers and sisters also emerged in this study. The proposed amendment of the law aims to recognize the suffering of this group of relatives of victims. The House of Representatives has repeatedly drawn attention to the position of brothers and sisters with regard to affection damage. Awarding compensation for affection damage for brothers and sisters and making compensation for affection damage possible on the BES is part of the government program.
Consultation
The arrangements will go out for consultation on November 24. After the consultation period, these will be sent to the Council of State. This will then be followed by the House of Representatives and the Senate for the bill. The regulations will come into effect simultaneously.