Nearly 40 percent of family lawyers who answered a Dutch survey said they had faced threats, stalking or physical intimidation.
Investigative platform Investico conducted the survey with RTL Nieuws and De Groene Amsterdammer.
The researchers contacted 1,700 family lawyers. They received responses from 440 lawyers, nearly 80 percent of whom were women.
Among the respondents, 165 said someone had threatened them online, verbally or physically.
In 136 cases, the lawyer represented someone reporting domestic violence, intimate terrorism or coercive control.
Another 29 lawyers received threats while representing a person accused of committing such violence.
Some lawyers reported damage to their vehicles, threats against their families and people appearing at their homes.
One lawyer said someone placed an explosive device outside an office door.
“The lawyer is viewed as an extension of the ex-partner,” family lawyer and vFAS chair Glenda Raap said.
She explained that a violent or controlling former partner may target the lawyer after feeling that they are losing control over their ex-partner.
Lawyer Özge Öztürk experienced threats while representing a woman living in a shelter.
The woman’s former partner blamed Öztürk after he was denied access to his children. He allegedly monitored her social media accounts and sent threatening messages throughout the day.
Öztürk reported the situation to the police. Officers held a warning meeting with the man, and the stalking stopped.
Security guards later accompanied her to her car after a court hearing because she felt unsafe.
The survey found that some lawyers now accept fewer domestic violence cases. Others have stopped handling them completely.
This creates another problem for victims who already struggle to find legal support.
The Netherlands Bar Association and vFAS are developing safety and resilience training for lawyers. They want to include the training in professional legal education.
The findings represent the experiences of the 440 lawyers who completed the survey. They do not prove that 40 percent of every family lawyer in the Netherlands has faced threats.
