GREVIO’s report, released alongside Belgium’s response, calls for broad reforms to ensure protection and justice for victims and their children across all regions and institutions.

Trainings for legal and healthcare professionals on sexual and domestic violence have shown improvements.

urgent action is required in data collection and integration across judiciary, law, and healthcare; shelter capacity is too low and many victims pay for accommodation; custody and visitation rights remain inadequately addressed; restraining and protection orders need strengthening and reform.

GREVIO emphasizes that data collection remains fragmented between institutions and levels of authority and must be better coordinated.

Belgium has expanded services for victims, including accessible sexual violence support centers within an hour from any location and multidisciplinary support across regions.

Victim-support services have improved, with nationwide access to sexual violence centers and enhanced multidisciplinary training across legal and healthcare sectors.

GREVIO commends Belgium for progress under the Istanbul Convention, including the Law on femicide and moves toward an yes-means-yes approach to rape and a ban on sharing non-consensual sexual images.

The report, Belgium’s first thematic evaluation since 2020, presents both positive progress and concrete recommendations for deeper alignment with the Istanbul Convention.

Authorities must broaden and strengthen restraining and protection orders, as current measures fail to provide adequate protection.

Belgium’s official response to GREVIO’s findings is included, and the full report is available online for review with links to GREVIO’s documentation.

Shelter capacity remains insufficient and access is often paid by victims, highlighting the need to expand capacity and remove financial barriers.

Custody and visitation rights continue to be mishandled, with some civil-court judges downplaying violence against women, putting victims and children at risk.