Violences conjugales : un dilemme pour la justice pénale ? Leçons d’une analyse des enregistrements statistiques effectués dans les parquets belges

Drawing on the analysis of statistics regarding Intimate Partner Violence collected on a large scale at the level of the Belgian prosecutors’ offices, the article reveals a wide gap between the zero tolerance rhetoric conveyed in the normative discourse and actual implementation, which is generally weak and showing divergent judicial practices in the field. Faced with this dilemma, the highly contestable impact of the zero tolerance policy observed in preventing recidivism offers a substantial argument to revisit the role of the criminal justice system in this area.