Tougher Sentences and Broader Powers for Prosecutors
Justice and Security Minister David van Weel published the draft legislation, outlining some significant shifts in how Dutch law would treat domestic violence cases. Under the current system, offenders who kill a partner but where premeditation cannot be proven are typically convicted of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. The new proposal would allow judges to hand down sentences of up to 30 years or even life imprisonment in manslaughter cases — provided the killing came after a sustained pattern of physical abuse or coercive control.



That is a meaningful distinction. It acknowledges what experts have argued for years: that domestic killings rarely come out of nowhere. They follow a trail.



The proposal also gives the Public Prosecution Service greater independence to act. Under the new rules, prosecutors could open cases involving coercive control, psychological abuse, and stalking without needing the victim to file a complaint first. That matters, because victims in controlling relationships are often too frightened — or too isolated — to come forward on their own.



Defining the Invisible Abuse
One of the most important aspects of this legislation is how it defines psychological abuse and coercive control in legal terms. Psychological abuse, as described in the draft, covers repeated patte.