A woman in the Netherlands was forced by her ex-boyfriend to get more than 250 tattoos on her body, most of which were his name or initials, using a cheap tattoo machine purchased online.
According to the victim support organization Spijt van Tattoo (translated as “Regret of Tattoos”), the man carried out these acts over several years, covering nearly 90% of the victim's body in tattoos used as a form of control.
The tattoos appear in many sensitive locations, believed to be intended as a display of possession. A representative for the organization stated that this is a clear sign of coercive control within the relationship.
The victim, identified by the name “Joke,” had been stalked, threatened, and pressured over a long period, leading to a psychological breakdown and a loss of the ability to protect herself, similar to cases of individuals held as slaves for many years.
Released images show the victim's face and body almost entirely covered in tattoo ink, including her face and neck.
Currently, a large portion of the tattoos has been removed, particularly from her face, and the victim hopes to have them completely removed within this year.
A fundraising campaign has raised more than $35,000 to support the costs of medical treatment and tattoo removal.
The victim stated that she reported the incident to Dutch authorities; however, no arrests have been made due to the difficulty of proving coercion regarding abuse allegations that the suspect claims were consensual.
Support organizations note that this case reflects the legal difficulties in addressing sophisticated forms of coercive control in domestic violence cases.
