Almost one in three women in Belgium (31.3%) has been a victim of abuse by their partner at some point in their life, reveals a report by the country’s three regional statistical offices, the figures of which were published in the Belgian press.

The report is part of a wider ‘EU survey on gender-based violence’ (EU GBV), carried out in 23 countries to better map violence against women. In Belgium, almost 5,500 people between the ages of 18 and 74 took part – the majority of them women.

“With the new Penal Code, we strengthened the measures (…) and penalties. In addition, new care centers for (women who have experienced) sexual violence are vital,” while “the fight against domestic and sexual violence must remain a priority for the justice system,” noted Belgian Federal Justice Minister Paul Van Tigelt via social networking sites.

The majority of female victims of intimate partner violence reported that they suffered psychological violence. The most common forms were humiliation and insults. However, 17.2% of victims also reported that their partner locked them somewhere, or prevented them from going to work, according to the survey – this is 5.2% of the general female population in Belgium.

In addition, about four in ten victims of psychological violence reported experiencing it “often” or “constantly.”

Women who are victims of intimate partner violence often experience multiple forms of violence, research suggests. For 93% of female victims of intimate partner violence, physical violence was accompanied by psychological violence. 69% of women who were victims of sexual violence also experienced both physical and psychological violence.

Of all the women interviewed, one in 13 said they had been the victim of sexual violence by a partner. The report estimates that almost 300,000 women in Belgium have experienced sexual violence from a partner at some point in their lives.

When it comes to non-relationship violence, about one in five women say they have been a victim at least once. About 11.5% of Belgian women report that they have experienced some form of sexual violence at least once in their life. 5.4% have been raped or attempted rape.

In most cases of non-relationship violence, the victim knows the perpetrator: they are a friend, family member or colleague. In cases of physical violence, approximately 80% of women stated that they knew at least one of the perpetrators.

The report also highlights that women in socially vulnerable positions are more likely to become victims of psychological, physical or sexual violence from their partner.

74% of the women in the survey who reported that they could not afford an unexpected expense of 300 euros, have health problems, or face unemployment for health reasons, suffered psychological violence from their partner at some point in their life.

Among women who work, would be able to pay an unexpected expense and are in good health, the percentage is three times lower: it reaches 24.8%.

The same trend is also observed in physical and sexual violence. For example, almost one in four women with a disability or long-term health problem stated that they have been the victim of sexual violence by their partner. This percentage is four times higher than for working women.

Large differences between regions are also recorded. In Flanders, around 24.7% of women say they have been abused by their partner, compared to 33.7% in Brussels and 42.5% in Wallonia.

When it comes to physical or sexual violence by a non-partner, victims are almost twice as likely in Wallonia (26.6%) and Brussels (28.1%) as in Flanders (13.2%).

The socio-economic status of the victims also plays a role. The report showed that the percentage of women experiencing a difficult economic situation, health problems or unemployment is much higher in Wallonia and Brussels than in Flanders.