On Saturday, our colleagues from RTL Radio hosted a panel discussion on domestic violence, focusing particularly on the urgent need to better protect children and teenagers who are affected. The conversation featured Annette Michels from La Voix des Survivant(e)s, Andrée Birnbaum, Managing Director of Femmes en Détresse, and Charel Schmit, Luxembourg’s Ombudsman for Children’s Rights.
All three experts agreed that Luxembourg must improve its support systems for underage victims of domestic violence.
Annette Michels, drawing on her personal experience of growing up in a violent household, described a childhood of “constant fear.” Despite the various support services available in the Grand Duchy, she warned that many children continue to suffer in silence.
Andrée Birnbaum pointed to a specific legal gap: even when an abusive parent – such as a father who has abused the mother – is removed from the home, they often retain visitation rights. According to her, this leaves children vulnerable and makes them “indirect victims” of the abuse.
Ombudsman Charel Schmit echoed these concerns, stressing that “children should not be relegated to the background” in such situations. Annette Michels went a step further, advocating for legislative changes to formally recognise children as co-victims in domestic violence cases.
