The government launches its "Grenelle of domestic violence", vigilant associations

Paris (AFP)

The government launches Tuesday in Matignon, in the presence of families of victims, a "Grenelle" of domestic violence, whose associations hope that it will lead to a "Marshall Plan" to stop a phenomenon that has already made more than 100 deaths since the beginning of the year.

Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, will announce Tuesday afternoon "first emergency measures to strengthen the protection of victims," ​​announced his services. "Collaborative additional measures will come together later," added his entourage.

In front of some 80 guests - community leaders, field workers, police, gendarmes, magistrates and lawyers - more than 10 government members, including Marlène Schiappa (gender equality), Nicole Belloubet (Justice) and Christophe Castaner (Interior), animate "workshops" on the prevention of violence, the "sheltering and accompaniment" of victims, or the "punishment" of violent perpetrators.

"We wish to have a real interdepartmental but especially collective work with the associations," said Matignon.

The feminist associations mobilized on the subject wish that the event leads to a "Marshall plan" endowed with "at least" 500 million, even a billion euros, far from the 79 million euros of credits specifically allocated to this fight according to a study conducted by five organizations.

Schiappa, for its part, announced last week the creation of a "special fund" against feminicides of one million euros for "field associations", a figure deemed very insufficient by the associations.

"What we expect is results," said Anne-Cécile Mailfert, president of the Women's Foundation, at a press conference attended by dozens of associations.

Women activists demand the creation, before the end of the year, of at least 2,000 additional places of accommodation for women who have fled the marital home, a reinforcement of the prevention against gender-based violence at school, or the creation of specialized judicial bodies.

- "Confident but vigilant"

They also advocate better training police and gendarmes to collect complaints from female victims, to prevent them from being dismissed or answer that to complain "is useless".

"Confident" before the Grenelle, associations nevertheless want to be "vigilant", especially in the face of the risk that the event comes down to a "communication operation on the part of the government".

"We do not want a Grenelle fake news (...) We hope that what will be announced is budgeted or concretely realized.The wait is huge.The 100 women who were murdered (since the beginning of the year) oblige us, "Ms Mailfert underlined.

On the eve of the Grenelle, this figure has even risen to 101, with the death of a 92 year old lady in the Tarn. Her 94-year-old husband is believed to have kicked her.

For the year 2018, the Ministry of the Interior had identified 121 feminicides.

This opening day of the "Grenelle", 3.9.19, will also be an opportunity to communicate and make better known the 3919 line dedicated to women victims of violence.

The conclusions of the consultation should be announced on 25 November, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The Grenelle "is not a magic wand," acknowledged Marlene Schiappa. "Domestic violence and feminicide will not stop the next day," said the Secretary of State in an interview in Paris on Tuesday. "It is a long process".

© 2019 AFP