One in five Luxembourg women experiences physical, sexual, or psychological violence

During a roundtable discussion at Cercle on Monday, which centred around proposals for a draft bill aimed at preventing and combating violence, Ana Pinto from the association 'D'Stëmm vun den Iwwerliewenden' ('Voice of the Survivors') highlighted the need to address "failures that we witnessed or to which we fell victim". Pinto emphasised that there are "far too many victims", referring to recent UNICEF data on sexual violence against young girls.

The figures reveal that more than 370 million girls and women, or one in eight, experienced rape or sexual assault during their childhood or adolescence. Additionally, one in five women has been subjected to sexual violence without physical contact, such as online or verbal harassment, amounting to around 650 million women. The data also indicated that one in eleven men, or approximately 240 to 310 million men, experienced rape or sexual assault as a child.

Pinto noted that the situation in Luxembourg is similarly concerning, citing data from 2020 that shows nearly 81,000 people in the Grand Duchy – almost one in five – experienced physical, sexual, or psychological violence at least once in that year. Most victims of sexual, sexist, physical, or psychological violence do not seek help, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC).

Pinto stated that "78% of victims did not contact the police, doctors, psychologists, social workers, or other professionals". She argued that many women fear being stigmatised if they come forward, "and unfortunately, this fear is often justified". Pinto added that while some people lack empathy, those who are supposed to assist victims sometimes lack the necessary training.

Marie-Laure Roland, vice president of the association, pointed to additional issues within the legal system in cases of sexual violence. Roland stated that only one in ten rape victims files a complaint, and of those, just one in ten leads to a conviction. "Therefore, 99% of rapes go unpunished", Roland said.

Calls for legal reform

The association is calling for reforms to Luxembourg's legislation to strengthen the prevention and combat of violence against women and domestic violence. To support this goal, it has developed a series of concrete proposals.

Pinto emphasised the need for legislation that genuinely protects all victims of violence. She highlighted the importance of raising awareness and educating the public on the issue, with a particular focus on implementing educational initiatives in schools.

Another key demand from the association is for stricter penalties for perpetrators of violence. However, the advocates stressed that having strong laws is not enough – they must also be effectively enforced. To this end, the association advocates for the creation of a specialised court dedicated to handling cases of violence. It also underscored the importance of training professionals who interact with victims to ensure they are properly equipped to offer support.

As part of the consultations for the upcoming national action plan against violence, the association intends to present and advocate for its proposals once more.