During a student party, Maria, 20, was raped by a young man whom she considered to be her friend.

While an investigation published Monday sheds light on the phenomenon of sexual violence at university, Europe 1 has collected his testimony.

TESTIMONY

"There was a boy, who was a friend of mine, who came to kiss me the first time. I pushed him away, he came back a second time, I said 'no'", explains Maria, today 'hui, 20 years old, at the microphone of Europe 1. During an alcoholic evening gathering about thirty of her fellow students, she was the victim of rape.

"At one point, I was kinda all alone in the living room, he took me to the bedroom, I was saying 'no' on the way to the bedroom. And he locked the door…" 

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It is only thanks to the support of her sister that she manages, the next day, to put the words on what happened to her.

The young woman files a rape complaint against the one she considered until then as a friend.

The phenomenon of sexual violence at university remains poorly understood.

A survey carried out by the Observatory studying sexual and gender-based violence in higher education, the results of which are published on Monday, reveals the extent of this scourge.

One in 20 students (5%) say they have been a victim of rape.

One in 10 (11%) say they are victims of sexual assault. 

Alcohol, lack of education, omnipotence

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The episode that Maria describes seems to sum up three of the main causes of aggression identified in the investigation: alcohol, lack of education and the aggressors' sense of power.

A fourth factor is highlighted: the group effect, linked to student office-type associations.

To fight against the phenomenon, the Observatory calls for more prevention campaigns and more training of administrative staff in schools and universities.

As in Maria's case, this violence often occurs within the circle of friends.

"I know that for him, it is not a rape", she affirms at the microphone of Europe 1, always saying herself traumatized.

"For him, if you force it a bit, it's okay. And he thinks that if the girls say 'no', it's actually 'yes'."