Belgium Minister Urges Secret Nude Image Victims to Report
Belgium’s Minister of Digitalization, Vanessa Matz, has issued an urgent call for victims of non-consensual intimate image sharing to always file police reports, following a VRT NWS investigation that uncovered at least 20 online platforms where Belgian men share secretly taken nude photos of their female partners. Matz described the practice as a “serious violation of dignity, privacy, and integrity.”
The Investigation
The VRT NWS check desk identified 32 accounts of Belgian men sharing such images across Facebook groups, Telegram chats with thousands of members, and dedicated websites. Some platforms employ “authenticity certificates” to verify that images are of the sharer’s actual partner, while others use gamification techniques — including scores and templates — to encourage sharing. Clinical psychologist Wim Huys of the University Forensic Centre explained that those who regularly present “new material” gain a certain status online.
The phenomenon is difficult to measure precisely, as platforms disappear and reappear. Victims often find dozens or even hundreds of their photos circulating online. The investigation revealed a deeply sexist culture in which men refer to their partners using degrading language and share personal information — including names, workplaces, and addresses — alongside the images.
Minister’s Response
“These are particularly serious facts,” Matz said in her statement. “The distribution of intimate images without consent is a serious violation of dignity, privacy, and integrity of the victims. These facts are part of a broader pattern of sexist and sexual violence that today extends into the online space.”
Matz announced plans to meet with Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden and Minister of Interior Bernard Quintin to coordinate a response. “I will contact my colleagues from Interior and Justice to ensure that this digital violence does not go unanswered,” she said. “It must be taken extremely seriously at both the judicial and political levels, so that the online space never becomes a blind spot when it comes to sexual violence.”
A Victim’s Four-Year Wait
The investigation highlighted the story of Valerie (a pseudonym), whose husband secretly took more than 1,200 intimate photos of her over years and shared them online. Despite filing a police complaint four years ago, she is still waiting for a trial. Her images continue to circulate on various forums.
“It gives me the strong feeling that it will never be over,” Valerie told VRT NWS. “As if what was done to me is not important and can go unpunished. Every time someone views or shares those images, you are abused again.”
Justice System Challenges
Belgium has legislation against revenge porn that criminalizes the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, but enforcement remains deeply inconsistent. According to Ann-Frédérique Lorquet of support organization Punt vzw, approximately half of all sexual violence reports are dismissed, and only 13.5 percent lead to convictions. This means less than one percent of perpetrators are convicted.
Liesbet Stevens, Deputy Director of the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men, noted that there is sometimes a lack of people, resources, and knowledge within the justice system and police to handle these cases quickly and properly. She emphasized that “digital abuse can cause trauma as great as physical abuse.”
Rising Reports and Systemic Gaps
The Institute for the Equality of Women and Men received 65 reports of sexual violence between (ex-)partners in 2025, up from 47 in 2024 and 20 in 2023 — a more than threefold increase in two years. Experts say this represents just the tip of the iceberg, as most victims never seek help.
Victims face multiple barriers: long court delays, platforms that are difficult to contact for content removal, and a shortage of specialized trauma therapists. Tools like StopNCII place the burden on victims to identify and upload their own images — a process critics describe as re-traumatizing.
A Precedent for Platform Accountability
In April 2026, a Brussels court fined X (formerly Twitter) €24,000 for refusing to remove images of an alleged rape of a Flemish woman, setting an important precedent for platform accountability. The ruling signals growing judicial willingness to hold tech companies responsible for illegal content on their platforms.
What’s Next
Matz’s inter-ministerial meeting is expected in the coming weeks. Key questions remain: whether the meeting will produce concrete policy changes or remain symbolic, how the government will address resource gaps in policing and prosecuting digital sexual violence, and whether Belgium will push for stronger EU-level regulation of platforms regarding non-consensual intimate images.
For now, the minister’s message is clear: victims should come forward. “Filing a report is essential to identify and convict the perpetrators,” Matz said, “but also to take the necessary steps to have this content removed.”
If you or someone you know is affected by digital sexual violence, support is available via Helpline 1712 or the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men at 0800 12 800.