A new police training programme on gender-based violence was launched in Mendonk on Tuesday, with the aim of eventually reaching all 45,000 Belgian police officers. The initiative is designed to better equip officers to respond to contemporary forms of sexual and domestic violence, including cyber violence, revenge porn and online intimidation.
The programme follows a train-the-trainer model. An initial group of instructors will receive specialist training before rolling it out within their own police districts, creating a structured nationwide expansion.
Responding to a changing reality
The training was co-developed by Maria De Sterck of the Hamme-Waasmunster local police force, who is widely seen as one of its driving forces. She points to the rapidly evolving nature of sexual violence in recent years.
“The reality is that sexual violence is much broader today than it used to be. It’s not just about physical offences, but also about online behaviour, such as the distribution of intimate images without consent.”
According to De Sterck, operational practice has not always kept pace with these developments. “We notice that officers are sometimes still trying to figure out: what can already be done, where can they go, how do they handle such a complaint? We want to rectify that with this training.”
Focus on victims and practical tools
A key component of the programme is improving the first contact between police and victims. “If people contact the police and they don’t feel taken seriously, we’ve lost them. Then they don’t report anything, and the problem remains under the radar.”
To address this, the training combines legal and procedural knowledge with a strong emphasis on empathy and victim support. It also introduces clearer practical guidelines, particularly for handling online offences. Reports of revenge porn, for example, can be tackled through specialised “trusted flaggers”, but only if complaints are properly registered and followed up.
The rollout begins in East Flanders, where the provincial police academy PAULO aims to retrain 70 per cent of its 3,500 officers by the end of the year. The programme will subsequently be extended to other provinces.
Provincial Executive Member David Coppens highlighted the broader ambition behind the initiative. “We want victims to receive the same support throughout the country. That’s only possible with a structured approach and the same knowledge development everywhere,” he says. “The goal is for this to spread like an oil slick across Flanders and Belgium.”
The training aligns with wider policy frameworks, including the Istanbul Convention and recent reforms to sexual criminal law, and seeks to promote a uniform and professional approach across both the police and the judiciary. Additional trainer sessions are scheduled at the PAULO training centre later this week and on 6 March.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO PETER HILZ / HOLLANDSE HOOGTE / ANP
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