Sharp rise in honor-related violence reports: 757 cases in 2025 reveal growing crisis
Reports of honor-related violent crimes in the Netherlands surged by 13% in 2025, reaching 757 cases. The increase highlights deeper suffering for victims and a growing ability among professionals to identify and report such crimes, but also raises concerns about the scale of the issue.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Total cases in 2025 | 757 (13% increase from 2024) |
| Trend over past years | 2022: 594, 2023: 619, 2024: 673 |
| Top reporting regions | Central Netherlands (114), Eastern Netherlands (110), The Hague (107) |
| Most common crime types | Abuse and threats |
| Cultural contexts (2025) | Syrian (34%), Turkish (15%), Moroccan (11%), Iraqi (7%), Afghan (6%) |
| Cases with second ethnic group | Nearly 20% of cases |
| Source | National Expertise Center for Honor-Related Violence (LEC EGG) |
The National Expertise Center for Honor-Related Violence (LEC EGG) is a specialized police unit that handles complex cases of honor-related violence. It provides advice, support, and training to regional police units, government agencies, and social organizations to improve detection and intervention in such cases.
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Increase in reports of honor-related violent crimes
The number of reports of violent crimes where an honor motive is suspected has risen again last year. The National Expertise Center for Honor-Related Violence (LEC EGG) of the police recorded a total of 757 cases in 2025, an increase of nearly 13 percent compared to the previous year.
According to the center, the increase is partly due to professionals referring cases to the LEC EGG more quickly. The expertise center handles complex honor-related violence cases and advises and supports regional units, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), the National Contact Point for Forced Marriage and Abandonment (LKHA), and specialized institutions in women's shelters. Additionally, the LEC EGG regularly receives inquiries about case studies from organizations such as Safe at Home (Veilig Thuis) and the Council for Child Protection (Raad voor de Kinderbescherming).
Continued rise
The number of cases where an honor motive is suspected has shown a continued increase. In 2022, there were 594 cases, in 2023 the number was 619, and in 2024 the LEC EGG recorded 673 cases. Most incidents in 2025 were reported by the units Central Netherlands (114), Eastern Netherlands (110), and The Hague (107). Wilfred Janmaat, head of the LEC EGG, calls the increase alarming. "Behind these figures lies a great deal of suffering. Suffering that often deeply impacts the lives of victims. And the figures show that the number of victims is increasing. At the same time, they also show that units and partners are increasingly able to find us." According to Janmaat, this is a result of efforts in education and training by the LEC EGG.
Abuse and threats
To gain more insight into the various aspects of honor-related issues, the center categorizes different types of behavior, such as abuse, threats, stalking, coercion, as well as sexual abuse and rape. In the period from 2022 to 2025, 'abuse' and 'threats' formed the largest category. In the case of threats, it is not always about explicitly stated threats. It also occurs that those involved are afraid of potential reactions from their social environment if a secret—such as a pregnancy or an extramarital relationship—threatens to be exposed.
Red flags
In handling honor-related cases, the 'LEC EGG method' is applied, which serves as the standard for the police. The method consists of several steps, including the description of red flags: notable aspects of a case that warn of the possible presence of honor as a motive for (threatened) violence. These flags are included in an electronic search tool used to identify potential honor-related cases in police systems.
Of the cases presented to the center in 2025, 34 percent (257 cases) had a Syrian context, 15 percent (109) involved a Turkish background, 11 percent (83) had a Moroccan context, 7 percent (55) an Iraqi background, and 6 percent (47) an Afghan background.
Cultures
In nearly one-fifth of the cases handled by the LEC EGG each year, the involvement of a second ethnic group is identified. In about one-fifth of those cases, the involvement of people without a migration background is noted. Honor conflicts occur in various cultures.
LEC EGG Annual Report 2025 PDF document2.4 MB