The Public Prosecution Service (OM) handled 214,500 criminal cases in 2024, which is 10% more than the previous year. This occurred partly after a decision by the OM and partly after a ruling by the judge. The number of cases handled was therefore higher than the total of 206,100 incoming criminal cases. As a result, the backlog of cases to be processed has shrunk. This is evident from the Annual Report 2024 of the OM published today.
More than 52,900 cases were dealt with through a criminal order. This is 25 percent of the total number of cases handled: in 2023, this percentage was 22 percent.
Rinus Otte, chairman of the Board of Prosecutors General: ‘Too many criminal cases are waiting too long for processing, and too few reports are being picked up, especially in common crimes such as burglaries, vandalism, and assaults. We still do not have sufficient answers to the ever-increasing online crime. The OM continues to do everything possible to improve this. It is not just about cases, but about people, suspects, and victims, to whom we want to do justice as well and as quickly as possible. The fact that the figures show a decrease in the workload is a positive point. This should create space to process more cases more quickly.’
Law on Sexual Offenses
On July 1, 2024, the new Law on Sexual Offenses came into effect. More forms of sexual misconduct have become punishable. National public prosecutor for domestic violence and sexual offenses Judith van Schoonderwoerd: ‘It is still too early to see the first effects on the influx of suspects at the OM. However, the number of reports and complaints of sexual offenses has increased by 7 percent. It is expected that this will also have an impact on the influx of suspects at the OM.’
In 2024, the stock of sexual offenses decreased by a third: just like in 2023, around 2,100 sexual offenses were dealt with by the judge. A slight improvement is also visible in the processing times: in 41 percent of sexual offense cases, it was possible to hold a first hearing within six months of arrival at the OM, in 2023 this was still 37 percent. However, the agreed chain norm of 80 percent is still not within reach.
Femicide
Every year in the Netherlands, dozens of women are killed by violence: in many cases, a partner or ex-partner is the perpetrator. Van Schoonderwoerd: ‘Women are much more often victims of murders committed by their (ex-)partner than men. Often, a so-called femicide is preceded by a history of domestic violence. To gain more insight into this, the OM has been recording the number of suspects of violent crimes with a female victim since 2024. In the past year, 24 murder and manslaughter cases with a female victim were received by the OM, and 49 attempts at it.’
Juvenile Crime
The total number of juvenile suspects of crimes increased in 2024 from 13,300 to 14,100. National juvenile prosecutor Rianne de Back: ‘In recent years, a somewhat ‘bouncing’ picture can be seen. One year it increases slightly, the next year it decreases slightly. In 2024, there was an increase in the number of juvenile suspects in more serious crime cases. This includes arson, threats, (attempted) manslaughter or murder, street robbery, or possession of a weapon or explosives.’
‘But it still concerns a small group of the total number of suspicions. In the youth crime monitor 2000 – 2023, the WODC sees no indications over a longer period for a rejuvenation or hardening of juvenile suspects or offenders. This corresponds with the picture that the OM has, although there are local differences with occasionally very young suspects and concerning cases,’ said De Back.
Cyber and Digitized Crime
A noticeable decrease is visible in cybercrime cases such as hacks and ransomware attacks: in 2024, the police registered 42 percent fewer cybercrime cases than the year before. In contrast, there was an increase of 22 percent in the digitized crime recorded by the police. This involves online fraud such as scams via chat apps, unreliable web shops, and online marketplaces. In the recent period, more registration options have become available for the police to record forms of digitized crime, which is partly an administrative shift.
Organized Crime
The fight against serious organized crime remains a major priority for the OM. In 2024, 2,410 new or ongoing criminal investigations into criminal associations were conducted, approximately the same as in 2023. This led to 2,050 criminal cases against suspects with a connection to organized crime in the past year. The majority of these cases were submitted to the judge. In 2024, the judge issued a verdict in more than 1,400 of these cases, with 1,278 suspects being found guilty and 118 suspects being acquitted. The vast majority of suspects, a total of 561, were sentenced to imprisonment for the production and trafficking of drugs.
Often, these are complex and lengthy (international) investigations with a large number of suspects, witnesses, and victims. Within the fight, there is special attention for criminal organizations that have acquired an unacceptable degree of power and thus pose a threat to the democratic rule of law. The Marengo case surrounding main suspect Ridouan T. is the most well-known example of this.