What Openbaar Ministerie does

Openbaar Ministerie (OM) is the sole public prosecution authority in the Netherlands, operating under Article 124 of the Wet op de rechterlijke organisatie as the only legal entity empowered to bring criminal suspects before the Dutch criminal courts. Founded in 1811 and headquartered in Den Haag, the OM is a government institution funded entirely through the Dutch national budget, operating as part of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security (Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid) under the governance of the College van Procureurs-Generaal. It directs police and specialized investigative services in criminal investigations, prosecutes cases across the full spectrum from minor traffic offenses to major crimes (terrorism, organized crime, environmental pollution, corporate criminal liability), enforces sentences, and protects victim and witness rights.

The OM delivers its mandate through a national network of 10 regional arrondissementsparketten plus specialized national units (Functioneel Parket, Landelijk Parket, Ressortsparket for appellate prosecution, Parket CVOM for traffic fines, and the Rijksrecherche for investigations of law enforcement officials), with 1,001-5,000 employees across these offices. Its operational technology stack includes the Platform Rijksoverheid Online (PRO) hosting om.nl, the DigiD Loket Verkeer portal for citizen self-service traffic fine appeals (integrated with CJIB), MijnSlachtofferzaak.nl for real-time victim case tracking, and the Advocatenportaal (Mijn Strafdossier) jointly developed with Rechtspraak and NOvA for lawyer electronic case file access. Additional communication channels include Piwik PRO Analytics for website analytics, dedicated press offices per region, the Opportuun digital magazine, OM Moordgame educational tool, and social media presence (X, LinkedIn, two Instagram accounts, YouTube, Spotify podcast). Its services are provided free of charge to Dutch citizens, victims, defense lawyers, and the courts it serves; there is no commercial revenue model.

Name

Openbaar Ministerie

Legal name

Openbaar Ministerie

Website

https://om.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1811

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Openbaar Ministerie is the Dutch national public prosecution service, holding a statutory monopoly to bring criminal suspects before Dutch courts. It directs police investigations, prosecutes offenses across 10 regional and national units, and serves Dutch citizens, victims, defense lawyers, and the judiciary through physical proceedings and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Prosecution Services

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

Keywords

• Criminal prosecution services
• Public prosecution
• Criminal justice
• Victim support services
• Traffic fine appeals

Headquarters

HQ city

Haag

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Openbaar Ministerie (OM) is the sole state authority in the Netherlands authorized to investigate and prosecute criminal offenses and bring suspects before the criminal court, operating under Article 124 of the Wet op de rechterlijke organisatie. It directs police investigations, conducts criminal proceedings in court, enforces sentences, protects victims and witnesses, and provides citizen-facing digital services including traffic fine appeals (DigiD Loket Verkeer), victim case tracking (MijnSlachtofferzaak.nl), and lawyer access to case files (Advocatenportaal). The OM operates 10 regional district prosecutor offices plus specialized national units (Functioneel Parket, Landelijk Parket, Ressortsparket, Parket CVOM, and Rijksrecherche).

Product overview

The Openbaar Ministerie (Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office) operates primarily as a government institution providing public services through its digital platforms. Its main product is the om.nl website, complemented by specialized service portals including Digitaal Loket Verkeer for traffic fine appeals, MijnSlachtofferzaak.nl for victim case tracking, and the Advocatenportaal for legal professionals. Additional offerings include the Opportuun magazine publication, the OM Moordgame educational tool, and RSS feed subscriptions. The organization does not offer commercial software products but rather public service applications focused on criminal prosecution, victim rights, and legal processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OM: Abbreviated form of Openbaar Ministerie used on the website and in communications.
• Opportuun

Products and services

• Digitaal Loket Verkeer A DigiD-authenticated digital portal enabling citizens to file administrative appeals against traffic fines (Mulderzaken) with Parket CVOM. Handles the full submission lifecycle integrated with CJIB data.
• MijnSlachtofferzaak.nl A victim-facing portal providing real-time case progress updates for victims of crime, integrated with OM case management systems, allowing victims to monitor their case in one overview.
• Advocatenportaal (Mijn Strafdossier) A joint OM-Rechtspraak-NOvA digital portal enabling defense lawyers to access criminal case files electronically from all OM offices and courts.
• Opportuun Magazine The official periodical magazine of the Openbaar Ministerie, featuring articles on criminal cases, policy developments, and organizational matters. Published annually with archived editions available via SITearchief.
• OM Moordgame An interactive educational murder mystery game designed to give citizens insight into the criminal justice process and the OM's role in criminal investigations.
• OM.nl Website The main public-facing website of the Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office providing news, case information, organizational details, and access to citizen services including traffic fines, victim rights, and legal information.

Quantifiable outcome

• All criminal suspects in the Netherlands must be brought before the court by the OM, covering the full spectrum from minor offenses to major crimes including murder, terrorism, and corporate pollution (e.g., Tata Steel prosecution decision 2026)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Politie (Dutch Police)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OM directs police operations in criminal investigations under Article 148 Sv and Article 12 Politiewet 2012. The OM- police partnership is the foundational operational relationship in Dutch criminal justice. The police conduct investigations under OM authority and report to the officer of justitie. This partnership is mandated by law and covers all 10 regional police units.
• RijksrecherchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rijksrecherche is an independent investigative body that investigates alleged criminal offenses by police officers, law enforcement officials, and others. It operates under the direction of the OM (Article 141/148 Sv). It has a dedicated press officer at Parket-Generaal and investigates cases referred by regional OM offices.
• CJIB (Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCJIB handles collection and enforcement of criminal fines and traffic penalties issued by the OM. CJIB provides data to the Digitaal Loket Verkeer portal for the traffic fine appeals process. The OM and CJIB exchange case data electronically to process appeals and enforce decisions.
• Rechtspraak (Dutch Judiciary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OM brings all criminal cases before the courts. Together with Rechtspraak and the NOvA (Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten), the OM co-developed the Advocatenportaal/Mijn Strafdossier for electronic case file sharing. The Rechtspraak publishes case outcomes and maintains public court records that complement OM press communications.
• Slachtofferhulp NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlachtofferhulp Nederland provides support services to crime victims. Under the Aanwijzing verstrekking strafvorderlijke gegevens (2018A003), the OM can share investigative data with victim support organizations to facilitate assistance to victims of crime.
• KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnder Aanwijzing verstrekking strafvorderlijke gegevens (2018A003), the OM can share investigative data with the KNVB and foreign football organizations for the prevention and prosecution of match-fixing and football-related crimes.
• Bijzondere Opsporingsdiensten (Special Investigation Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OM directs and coordinates multiple special investigation services: FIOD (Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service), ILT-IOD (Inspection for Living Environment and Transport), ISZW-DO (Social Affairs and Employment Investigation Service), and NVWA-IOD (Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority). These services investigate specific types of economic, environmental, and financial crimes under OM authority.
• Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar / Royal Military Police)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Marechaussee (military police) conducts border control, military law enforcement, and immigration enforcement. The OM exercises prosecutorial authority over military crimes and coordinates with KMar under Article 142 Sv. Military personnel accused of crimes are tried before the military court.
• Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP / Dutch Data Protection Authority)coreOthersThe AP supervises OM compliance with the GDPR/AVG. Citizens can file complaints with the AP if they disagree with how the OM processes their personal data. The AP also issues guidance on data protection applicable to OM operations.
• Nederlands Instituut voor Forensische Psychiatrie en Psychologie (NIPP)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNIPP provides forensic psychiatric evaluations and expertise that the OM uses in criminal proceedings, particularly for TBS (terbeschikkingstelling) assessments and competency evaluations. The OM can share relevant case data with NIPP under the data sharing framework.
• Reclassering (Probation Service)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Reclassering provides pre-sentence reports, supervision of conditional sentences, and rehabilitation services. The OM shares criminal case data with the Reclassering under the Aanwijzing verstrekking strafvorderlijke gegevens (2018A003) framework for rehabilitation and supervision purposes.
• Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen (DJI / Judicial Institutions Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDJI manages prisons and forensic psychiatric institutions. The OM coordinates with DJI for the execution of custodial sentences and TBS measures. Data sharing occurs to track sentence enforcement and manage detention populations.
• Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (NOvA / Dutch Bar Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOvA co-developed the Advocatenportaal/Mijn Strafdossier with the OM and Rechtspraak. This portal allows defense lawyers to access digital criminal case files from all OM offices and courts, streamlining the legal process.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurojust: Eurojust coordinates cross-border prosecution among EU member states, working directly with national prosecutors including the OM. Comparable as a supranational counterpart and key operational partner for transnational case coordination.
• European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO): EPPO is the EU's independent prosecution body for crimes against the EU budget. Operates alongside national prosecutors like the OM, with comparable mandate for complex financial/regulatory cases.

Direct peers

• Public Prosecution Service of Canada: The PPSC is Canada's federal prosecution agency, comparable to the OM in holding statutory responsibility for criminal prosecutions and operating a regional/national dual structure with specialized federal units.
• Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Ireland): Ireland's DPP is a national prosecution service comparable to the OM in mandate, structure, and jurisdiction. Directly comparable in handling criminal prosecution across all offense categories with statutory authority.
• Ministère public (Parquet national / France): France's parquet national handles organized and complex crime prosecution with a centralized national structure. Directly comparable as a European public prosecutor with statutory authority over serious criminal matters.
• Crown Prosecution Service (England & Wales): The CPS is the principal public prosecution service for England and Wales, holding the statutory monopoly on criminal prosecutions. Directly comparable to the OM as a national prosecutor with regional structure, digital citizen services, and analogous relationships with police and courts.
• Generalstaatsanwaltschaft (Germany Federal Public Prosecutor): Germany's federal prosecutor handles serious federal crimes and terrorism cases, structurally analogous to the OM's Landelijk Parket and Functioneel Parket. Closely comparable in mandate scope, jurisdictional architecture, and inter-agency coordination model.

Others

• Politie (Dutch National Police): The Dutch Police is the OM's core operational partner — police conduct investigations under OM authority. While not a peer in mandate, it is a tightly coupled ecosystem participant comparable in scale and digital service delivery model.
• Rechtspraak (Dutch Council for the Judiciary): The Dutch Judiciary co-operates the Advocatenportaal/Mijn Strafdossier with the OM and Rechtspraak. Comparable as the judicial counterpart through which all OM prosecutions flow, and co-developer of shared digital infrastructure.

Regional players

• Office of the Attorney General (Norway / Sweden equivalents): Norway's Riksadvokaten and Sweden's Åklagarmyndigheten are Nordic prosecution services with comparable statutory monopolies, regional structures, and digital service models to the OM, sharing the same jurisdictional family but operating in different countries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Het_OM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/openbaar2009
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openbaar-ministerie
• Instagraminstagram.com/openbaarministerie
• Facebookfacebook.com/OpenbaarMinisterie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Openbaar Ministerie