THE HAGUE, 15/09/00 - Justice Minister Benk Korthals plans to tackle violence in the home more firmly, and extend the possibilities for arresting perpetrators. He also intends to increase the maximum penalty for assault from two to three years in prison.

The minister will announce these measures on Princes Day. Police and judiciary must also work together more efficiently and exchange information on cases of this sort, in the view of the conservative (VVD) minister.

Korthals had already announced in May that he would make it possible for people guilty of assaulting their partner or child to be removed from the home faster via the civil court. At present, it is often the victims who have to flee the home to escape from the violence.

Each year, between sixty and eighty women are killed by their partners. It is estimated that forty children also die due to ill treatment at home. More than one in four families are faced with household violence on a daily or weekly basis, a survey held in 1998 showed.