Domestic violence reports rise in Luxembourg

Reports of injuries caused by physical domestic violence increased in Luxembourg last year, making up more than a third of all reported incidents.

According to figures released by Luxembourg's Equal Opportunities Ministry, out of the 876 domestic abuse interventions, in 300 cases victims reported injury from physical abuse. 

The rise in cases does not necessarily mean that domestic violence is growing more common in Luxembourg. Simply that there are more reports. It could be that victims and perpatrators are increasingly seeking outside help.

The figures showed that the number of death threats fell slightly to 53, from 57 the year before.

Female-male split

In nearly two thirds of all interventions (62 percent), the victim was female and 66 percent of cases the perpetrator was male.

The figures show the proportion of male victims rose, up to 37.6 percent compared with 35.74 percent the year before. And the proportion of female perpetrators also rose, from 31 percent in 2013 to 34 percent in 2014.

The prosecution service approved 327 expulsions in which the perpetrator was not allowed to remain in the same home as the victim. Among that figure, 94 percent were males. 

Violence towards a parent

Expulsions of individuals because of violence directed at a parent, rose. Just under a tenth of expulsions (8.9 percent) concerned a child. There were also more reports of violence by an adult towards a child (17 cases).

Luxembourgers made up a third of all victims recorded in 2014 and Portuguese represented 28 percent of the group.

Riicht eraus, a Luxembourg Red Cross service offering advice and support to the perpetrators of violence, treated 478 cases last year, of which two thirds (68 percent) were expulsions.

The majority of the expelled perpetrators (33 percent) were of Portuguese nationality, followed by Luxembourgish nationality (21 percent).

Do not miss the news - sign up to receive thewort.lu newsletter in Englishdelivered to your inbox six days a week.