Enkele misverstanden over (dodelijk) geweld tegen mannen en vrouwen uit de (politie) praktijk

This article addresses persistent misconceptions about lethal violence and stalking in police practice. Contrary to popular belief, more men than women are victims of homicide in the Netherlands, although femicide remains a serious issue. Femicide is often wrongly equated solely with domestic or honor-related violence, while it also occurs in contexts such as organized crime and sexual violence. The authors emphasize that ‘red flags’ are not reliable predictors of fatal outcomes; most cases of domestic violence never escalate to homicide, making prediction extremely difficult. Instead of focusing exclusively on high-risk cases, the greatest impact lies in early intervention, thorough reporting, and collaboration with partners like Veilig Thuis. Tools such as the SASH and interventions like stop conversations can be effective if applied correctly and methodologically. The recommendation: invest in broad prevention, professional training, and sufficient resources to enable police officers to perform their core tasks effectively.