In New Caledonia, the family is the site of 43% of physical or sexual violence.

A national record.

The figure appears in an analysis published in May by the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of this South Pacific archipelago.

family sphere.

"New Caledonia is the territory most affected by domestic violence in the entire national space", indicated Yves Dupas, the public prosecutor in Nouméa.

Assaults within the couple represent 5.4 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants, or a little more than double the French average.

In nine out of ten cases, the victim is a woman.

Since 2018, the number of proceedings for domestic violence has jumped by 50.5%.

And in nine out of ten cases, the victim is a woman.

The observers (magistrates, elected officials, professionals, associations) are unanimous: with the dedicated Grenelle in 2019, speech has been released in New Caledonia, which may explain the increase in complaints or denunciations.

However, “the seriousness lies there: the victim will say nothing at the first blows, she will talk about it when the situation becomes no longer manageable.

We must not wait, ”explains Jeannette Walewene, president of the association Women and domestic violence.

“More and more business leaders are calling us to report that an employee has arrived at work with bruises, that she is absent or disappears.

They ask us to organize an awareness-raising action during the break,” she explains.

Jeannette Walewene and Yves Dupas note this: “intra-family violence concerns all New Caledonian communities”, from Kanaks to descendants of Europeans, Vietnamese, or even inhabitants originating from Wallis and Futuna.

Respond to immediate danger

The government of New Caledonia, state services, associations and traditional authorities are trying to fight this violence together.

In his general policy statement on November 25, the president of the government Louis Mapou also expressed the wish to see “political, religious and customary institutions (…) become more involved in the reintegration and rehabilitation of victims within their community.

The number of placements for women and children has been rising sharply since mid-2019, especially since the period of confinement linked to the Covid-19 epidemic last year was hectic.

The judicial treatment of domestic violence is "a priority of the prosecution", notes for his part the prosecutor Yves Dupas, who advocates a repressive line.

Thus, nearly 20% of people imprisoned, accused or sentenced, are today for domestic violence, violence that can go as far as femicide.

A context of alcoholism and/or heavy cannabis use

In one year, from January 2021 to January 2022, three domestic homicides have been recorded in New Caledonia, and each time with the use of a firearm.

Since 2020, in these investigations, the search of the homes of the defendants to search for and possibly seize these weapons has been systematic.

Accountability course for first-time offenders, anti-reconciliation bracelets, and “great danger” telephone complete, among other things, the measures implemented.

The file on domestic violence

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Another concern: in more than 80% of violent proceedings, the authorities deplore a context of alcoholism and/or heavy consumption of regular, long-standing cannabis.

"The massive alcoholism of people is due to the accumulation of several dysfunctions, such as the fragility of their place of residence, economic insecurity, or precariousness", underlines Jone Passa, sociologist.

Representatives of justice call for "a real Marshall plan" in the fight against addictions.

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  • Company

  • New Caledonia

  • Violence against women

  • Sexual violence

  • Family