The police assign every third case of psychological violence

Many do not feel taken seriously when they report psychological violence to the police.

It tells the national Association of women crisis centres (Lokk) and the Center for survivors of Violence, writes the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on Tuesday.

Figures from the national Police and the crown Prosecution service shows that since the 1. april of last year and forward to the 1. may of this year has been 300 politianmeldelser of psychological violence.

Of them are 100 – corresponding to every third – been shelved by the police without having led to criminal charges. In 37 cases it happened, no investigative steps.

- Some times they get to know that it is not something in. Other times they get to know that it is a common husspektakel, or to be much more to, say, Ingrid Funch Hansen, vice-president of the Lokk, for the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Trine Rønde Kristensen, who is the chief physician and director of the Center for Battered, tells also:

- I have only heard the story from my patients. But the experience has certainly been that there were not listened by the police.

- What we hear, fairly often, is that they have gotten comments like ”try to go home and think about” or ”are you now sure that you want to notify?” It is really difficult to get to know, especially when you finally have taken the difficult steps to turn himself in to the police, she says to the newspaper.

At Mandecentret, which operates shelters for men, is 'very careful' in recommending men to go to the police with psychological violence, says a senior adviser Jan Lindell to Jyllands-Posten.

He believes there is a need for a renewal in the attitude of the police in some places.

Police call it regrettable, if the victims of psychological violence have experienced not to be taken seriously. For it they must, says Allan Holm, who is the center director for the National Forebyggelsescenter under the national Police, to Jyllands-Posten.

He says in addition, there may be 'need a boost of knowledge', when it relates to the identification of psychological violence.