The Keeper of the Seals, Eric Dupont-Moretti.

-

NICOLAS MESSYASZ

The bill aimed at strengthening the protection of minors against sexual violence, debated this Monday afternoon in the National Assembly, will "improve the situation of children", estimated the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, this Monday.

"It was time now for things to be said and from this point of view, it is a revolution in the sense that in the past a number of these facts were hidden," said the Minister of Justice during a visit with the Secretary of State in charge of Children, Adrien Taquet, to the professionals of the Center for Victimology for Minors (CVM) of the Hôtel Dieu in Paris.

"Shame has changed sides"

“The cultural revolution is that we are talking about these things today and I think that the shame has changed sides, obviously.

And that's fine, ”he continued.

Professionals welcome this legislative change with satisfaction and relief: "It's a change in language, culture, and we hope for a real culture of prevention", according to Mélanie Dupont, psychologist and president of the CVM association.

"It will change the postures of victims who were afraid of not being recognized as such," added a forensic pediatrician.

Children "better heard"

The fact of no longer wondering about consent, will "allow children to be better heard", further assures this professional who collects, each year in this structure, the words of "180 to 200 children victims of sexual violence or physical ”.

There remains the question of raising the awareness of all professionals (doctors, law enforcement, national education, etc.) to these questions: “We would like all these tools (tutorials, etc.) to be distributed to students,” says Mélanie. Dupont.

Adrien Taquet recalled his commitment, with the Ministry of National Education, to honor "the order of the President of the Republic to install from the next school year a systematic identification of violence" suffered by a child.

Society

Sexual violence against minors: The Assembly agrees on a threshold of non-consent at 15 years

Politics

Incest: The unanimous Assembly votes on a step-by-step text to toughen the law against sexual violence against minors

  • National Assembly

  • Minor

  • Incest

  • Law Project

  • Eric Dupond-Moretti

  • Sexual violence