Changing perspectives: criminal exploitation in the Netherlands

Each year, thousands of victims in The Netherlands, primarily Dutch children and young people, are believed to be forced into committing criminal acts. This is revealed by research conducted by CKM.

First study on nature and scale of criminal exploitation in The Netherlands

The Centre against Child and Human Trafficking conducted the first large-scale study on the nature and scale of criminal exploitation in The Netherlands. Over 1,600 front line professionals in 13 large and medium size municipalities were surveyed as part of the study. On the basis of their answers, CKM researchers believe there have been over 2,500 potential victims in the past two years alone. Yet during the same period, only 68 Dutch victims were officially recognized nationwide.

Invisible pillar of criminals' modus operandi

Shamir Ceuleers, CKM spokesperson: "Our research demonstrates that criminal exploitation of children and young people constitutes a significant yet largely invisible pillar of organized crime strategies. If we are serious about tackling organized crime, we must address criminal exploitation. If we fail to identify and protect these victims, there’s a significant risk they will be lost to the criminal underworld."

Criminal exploitation of Dutch minor victims

A total of 1,637 teachers, youth workers, community police officers, truancy officers, and other frontline professionals from the municipalities of Alkmaar, Amsterdam, Arnhem, The Hague, Eindhoven, Enschede, Haarlem, Leeuwarden, Maastricht, Roermond, Rotterdam, Tilburg, and Utrecht participated in the study. Half of them reported encountering (possible) victims within the past two years. Forty percent observed primarily child victims, particularly those aged between 12 and 18.

Seen as perpetrators rather than victims

These minors are coerced into committing various offenses, such as drug-related crimes, theft, recruiting for prostitution, or involvement in money mule and placeholder schemes. The victims are often vulnerable children and young adults who cannot or dare not seek help. They may not see themselves as victims, fear retaliation from perpetrators, or worry about being prosecuted themselves. This leaves them trapped in exploitative situations for extended periods. When they do come to the authorities' attention, it is often as perpetrators rather than as victims.

A shift in focus is needed

Perpetrators exploit (young) vulnerable individuals to commit crimes. Ceuleers explains:
“They can act boldly and deliberately, targeting victims at primary schools, vocational schools, and even care facilities. Some victims are coerced into crime through violence and threats, while others are subjected to subtler forms of pressure, which are common in human trafficking. For instance, perpetrators exploit victims' vulnerabilities such as mild intellectual disabilities, young age, or issues like debts or addiction. In some cases, coercion is so subtle that the victims are unaware they are being exploited.”

Looking at the United Kingdom

Ceuleers continues: “This report shows that criminal exploitation is closely intertwined with organized crime. To effectively combat it and prevent young people from becoming involved, we must acknowledge that not everyone who commits a criminal act does so willingly. This understanding is missing from the Dutch approach. The Minister of Justice and Security has rightly looked to other countries, such as Italy, for best practices in tackling organized crime. Based on this research however, we urge her to also consider the UK’s approach to criminal exploitation, where they have more years of experience addressing this issue and there might be lessons to learn."

Significant overlap between sexual and criminal exploitation

The report reveals that 20% of frontline professionals are aware of suspected victims who have been both criminally and sexually exploited. Ceuleers explains: “This primarily involves girls and young women who are forced to engage in paid sexual activities with men while also recruiting other victims for prostitution, transporting drug packages, or acting as money mules.”

Currently, little attention is given to the connection between criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation in existing approaches, and the scale of this overlap was previously unknown. Ceuleers emphasizes: “This means that care providers and police must remain vigilant for signs of criminal exploitation when investigating cases of sexual exploitation.”

The study was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security.

The report is available in both Dutch and English. The English version is titled:
'Changing Perspectives. An exploratory study into criminal exploitation in 13 large and medium-sized Dutch municipalities'.