The number of victims seeking help from the Netherlands’ sexual violence centres rose again last year, with 4,640 people approaching services in 2025, 20% more than the year before.

The national sexual violence centre (CSG), which runs 16 regional centres, said the numbers had climbed every year since it was set up in 2012. Its knowledge director Iva Bicanic told broadcaster NOS the reports were only “the tip of the iceberg”, with most victims still trying to forget or suppress what had happened to them.

The centre said the rise reflected a greater willingness to seek help rather than any increase in sexual violence itself, pointing to more openness about the subject in films, documentaries and news coverage.

Reporting has also been encouraged by the consent-based sex offence law introduced in July 2024, which removed the requirement for victims of rape or assault to prove that force was used.

Police recorded a similar increase last year, which they linked partly to the new law and to publicity around the killing of 17-year-old Lisa from Abcoude.

Alongside the 4,640 registrations, the centre handled 6,644 requests for advice, took 15,711 phone calls and held 7,142 online chats over the year.

“That more people are able to find us is not a success in numbers, but a sign of trust,” said interim director Enid van Ommeren, who warned that demand for help was growing faster than available funding.

From 2027, a European directive will require every member state to run a rape crisis centre, a role the CSG already fills in the Netherlands.