The number of reports to the Center for Sexual Violence (CSG) Groningen-Drenthe increased considerably last year. In Drenthe, the figures have increased by about 40 percent. In 2021 there were 115 reports, last year there were 162.
In 2022, a total of 499 reports of sexual violence were received by the CSG, also an increase of almost 40 percent. In the majority of the reports, the sexual violence occurred more than seven days ago.
According to the CSG, the cause of the increase is the episode of the BOOS program about The Voice of Holland. The revelations were both supportive and triggering for the victims. “It is nice that they felt strengthened by the stories of others to seek help for what happened to them,” explains Fetzen de Groot, coordinator of the Center for Sexual Violence Groningen-Drenthe. “At the same time, victims shared that the media attention confronted them with their own experiences at unexpected moments, and that is sometimes very painful.”
The fact that the number of reports has increased does not mean that sexual violence has also increased. “This is really just the tip of the iceberg,” says De Groot, “We know that one in three girls and one in five boys are affected by this. If you calculate that, you are talking about tens of thousands of reports for Drenthe. But the fact that more people are finding their way to us is good news.”
Because according to the center it is important that people come knocking for help. “It indicates that they recognize for themselves that they have been sexually assaulted. That they also realize that it is not their fault. In addition, we can then offer people help. We often see that if they do not receive help, they still have a trauma to it.”
According to the CSG, it is now especially important to keep the subject open for discussion. “The theme tends to quietly creep off the table again. This is because we find the thoughts of sexual violence and sexual abuse of children so shocking that we prefer not to think about it. It is good to realize that there are there are many more victims than we think. There is a lot of hidden abuse taking place and we can no longer close our eyes to that, “said De Groot.
CSG Groningen-Drenthe will therefore continue to act this year to keep the conversation about sexually transgressive behavior and sexual violence on the table. They do this by organizing dialogues, events and campaigns.