Rotterdam, Netherlands, July 28, 2026 (AFP) - More than skin deep: Dutch abuse victims erase forced tattoos

NAMPA / AFP
2026-07-28
Dutchwoman Joke winces as lasers crackle over her skin, removing one of the 250 tattoos her abusive partner scrawled all over her body and face, anywhere he believed another man had touched her. The 53-year-old is one of hundreds helped by Rotterdam-based foundation Spijt van Tattoo ("Tattoo Regret"), which offers victims free laser treatment and is poised to expand internationally. Joke (pronounced Yo-Ke) suffered years of abuse, locked in cara......
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