Domestic violence: Nord and Pas-de-Calais among the departments with the highest rates of victims

In 2023, the security services recorded 271,000 victims of violence committed by their partner or ex-partner, an increase of 10% compared to 2022. “In a context of freedom of speech and improvement in the reception conditions for victims by the police and gendarmerie services, the number of registered victims has doubled since 2016,” indicates the Ministry of the Interior.

Two thirds of domestic violence consists of physical violence; the vast majority of victims are women (85%) while those accused are most often men (86%). Concerning sexual violence, 20.3% of victims are between 15 and 19 years old. As the age of victims increases, their proportion decreases. The main culprits are also men (98%).

Figures in the region

Nord and Pas-de-Calais are among the departments with the highest rates of victims recorded per 1,000 inhabitants aged 15 to 64. In the North, there are 14.5 victims per 1000 inhabitants. In Pas-de-Calais, this figure rises to 15.2. Note that the national average is 10.6 victims per 1000 women. According to the Experienced and Felt in Security (VRS) survey, only 14% of victims filed a complaint with the security services for the events they suffered in 2022.