“The home is often the most dangerous place for a victim of domestic violence,” according to the insurance company AXA.
Just as it might arrange temporary accommodation for policyholders who were forced out of their home after a fire or flood, the insurer has automatically added “emergency rehousing cover for up to seven days” for domestic violence victims to “all its home insurance policies,” it said in a press release in October. The protection will be provided “free of charge.”
“Our coverage is designed to meet the emergency need for rehousing of victims as we know this is a major barrier for victims to leave the violent place they live in,” Octavie Dexant, CEO of AXA Luxembourg, told the Luxembourg Times.
The aim is to provide breathing space while the victim starts legal formalities, looks for a permanent living situation and seeks support from not-for-profit groups.
“We have worked and are still working hand in hand with specialised associations in Luxembourg to allow them to follow up and bring more comprehensive and long-term support to the victims [such as] psychological support, medium [and] long-term rehousing, legal information,” Dexant said via email. “We act on the part we are expert at: Safely transporting and rehoming insured individuals is one of our core expertise within our assistance services.”
Victims stuck with abusers
Luxembourg police intervened in 1,178 domestic violence cases in 2024, a rise of 11.5% compared to 2023, Yuriko Backes, the equality minister, told a parliamentary committee in June. Authorities and activists suspect the number of unreported cases is far higher.
Also read:Male domestic violence sufferers seek refuge in Luxembourg shelters
Last year, police evicted 287 alleged perpetrators from the couple’s home, including 71 repeat offenders, according to the figures provided by Backes. While 87% of evicted perpetrators were men, 81% of victims were women.
Those numbers imply that three out of four victims remained in the same home as their accused perpetrator.
Link to local associations
If an AXA insurance policyholder asks for this type of assistance, “the first contact with the insured person is made by our assistance teams to assess their needs and provide an immediate solution for rehousing,” Dexant said. “Rehousing is arranged in Luxembourg, and the continuity of support is managed by local associations in Luxembourg we cooperate with.”
Those associations include Femmes en Détresse, Profamilia, Acttogether’s Infomann service, Fondation Maison de la Porte Ouverte, Centre LGBTIQ+ Cigale, CNFL Log-in and the victim rights activist group La Voix des survivantes, the company said in a press release announcing the programme.
Medical evacuation team
The insurer’s domestic violence emergency support scheme is handled by staff at the AXA Assistance unit in Belgium, Dexant told the Luxembourg Times. This team “provides support in critical situations in Luxembourg – or worldwide – for all our policies – car, home, health, etc.”
“Requests related to domestic violence are handled by our specific ‘medical team’, [which is trained] to handle emergency situations [such as the] organisation of emergency care [and medical] evacuation, situations when the client needs strong emotional support,” Dexant said.
“Within this team, a dedicated helpline has been established to ensure immediate and compassionate assistance for domestic violence,” she said. “The support we provide has been carefully refined with the guidance and expertise of specialists and local associations […] to ensure we deliver the most appropriate, respectful, secure and empathetic care tailored to their unique situation.”
“Our team operates 24/7, in French, German and English,” Dexant said.
‘Already supported victims’
The team will find “an emergency rehousing solution and transport to a safe and suitable location (trusted third party or hotel), guaranteeing the strictest confidentiality and safe arrangements for the victim and any children or pets,” the press release said.
Dexant declined to provide details on specific agreements with hotels and what training and instructions hotel staff receive. “AXA Luxembourg works with partner hotels to provide secured rehousing for our customers when needed. For domestic violence the selection of hotels is mainly based on security criteria and ability to apply the operational process we defined to keep the victim safe,” she said.
Also read:Luxembourg drop-in provides lifeline for abuse victims
Similarly, Dexant did not describe the measures taken for providing transportation to a third party location, other than stating: “If the victim has a safe place [or] trusted person to go to, we organise safe transportation there in full confidentiality.”
Dexant declined to disclose how many policyholders have used these services in Luxembourg, “but we already supported victims since the launch of this cover on 14 October.”
AXA is the first and “only insurer in Luxembourg to offer emergency rehousing in case of domestic violence” and the Grand Duchy is the second market where the company has rolled out the protection, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
“AXA France launched its coverage end of March,” stated Dexant, who said she had “no information to disclose on the number and types of cases” handled there.
The insurer provides “various forms of assistance” in Italy and the UK, such as “connections with associations, psychological support, etc,” the spokesperson said, but the firm does “not provide emergency relocation in cases of domestic violence” in those countries.
Asked how much it costs to handle a domestic violence assistance claim, Dexant replied: “It is not about money.”
Need help?
If you need to talk with someone, check Violence.lu or Find a Helpline.
If you are in immediate danger, phone the Luxembourg police on 113.