WILLEMSTAD – The Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) of Curaçao experienced a sharp increase in criminal cases in 2024, while simultaneously making major progress in reducing its backlog. The OM processed a total of 906 new cases—the highest number since 2019—and reduced the number of open cases from 1,345 in January to 646 by year-end, according to the office’s newly published 2024 Annual Report.
The rise in workload, along with the need to resolve long-pending cases, has placed significant pressure on the organization, the report states.
Over Half of Resolved Cases Led to Prosecution
Of the 830 cases the OM completed in 2024, more than half led to formal charges and summons. In over 25% of cases, prosecutors opted for dismissal (sepot), while others were resolved through conditional dismissals, settlements, transfers to other jurisdictions, or special handling procedures.
The reduction in backlog was achieved by prioritizing older cases, including files involving missing suspects, cases awaiting foreign legal assistance, and matters that had been left unresolved by departing prosecutors but were reassessed and completed in 2024.
“This combination of case clean-up and increased incoming files demands a great deal from the organization,” the OM noted.
Complexity and Pressure Increasing
While the total number of crimes remains below pre-pandemic levels, the complexity and severity of criminal cases have increased. Prosecutors are seeing more suspects involved in multiple concurrent cases, and an increasing number of files require the involvement of two or more public prosecutors to manage properly.
Most new cases in 2024 involved common criminal offenses such as assault, threats, and theft, typically committed by adult suspects. The number of short-term “six-hour cases” also rose. Juvenile cases, traffic violations, and military offenses made up smaller portions of the total caseload. Environmental offenses were not recorded.
Progress Despite Persistent Challenges
The OM reported that cooperation across the justice chain has improved, but also warned of structural limitations. A shortage of specialized personnel within both the Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement agencies continues to limit capacity.
Despite these challenges, the OM emphasizes that “visible results” have been achieved in 2024—highlighting both the rising caseload and the organization’s ability to process and reduce long-standing backlogs.
