Increase in intra-family violence: how is the gendarmerie organized?

INTERVIEW

The first assessment of the evolution of delinquency over the first six months of 2021 published by the Ministry of the Interior is clear: domestic and sexual violence has increased in France. These crimes had been even more significant during the peak of the coronavirus crisis, and in particular the first confinement. The general of the gendarmerie in New Aquitaine André Pétillot details in the Grand Interview on Europe 1, the devices put in place by the gendarmerie to fight against this violence.

In 2020, 102 women died from the beatings of their spouse or ex-spouse.

And 75% of them had already lodged a complaint because they felt insecure in their home.

Last Sunday, the Minister of the Interior announced measures to combat this violence, including the prioritization of complaints for domestic violence.

According to Gérald Darmanin, "more than 400,000 interventions" were recorded in 2020 "or one every 45 hours".

The gendarmerie, for its part, notes "300 incidents per day".

"It is really a massive phenomenon", comments General Pétillot.

"Any gendarme must be able to properly accommodate a victim"

For the general of the gendarmerie André Pétillot, the care of victims of domestic violence has already evolved since the Grenelle fight against domestic violence led by the former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and the former minister in charge of gender equality- men, Marlène Schiappa, between September 3 and November 25, 2019. "There is really a global approach to this criminality, whether it is about taking charge, the criminal response, the incitement of victims to bring charges. complaint, then their follow-up. All of this is now completely organized and in a very structured way, "specifies André Pétillot.

Concretely, training is now in place to welcome these victims.

"Any gendarme must be able to properly accommodate a victim, to avoid formulas or postures that could dissuade the victim from continuing his approach", assures the general.

Since February, 13,000 non-commissioned officers have been trained in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

In schools too, 120-hour training is now provided to future gendarmes.

Special units to collect complaints

Some units have also been specially created to accommodate people, such as Tonneins, in the Lot-et-Garonne.

They are made up of about "30 soldiers in which, men and women, who deal with all the litigation of domestic violence", details General Pétillot.

"They have a very structured network with prosecutors, specialized magistrates, victim support associations, social workers," he continues.

The objective: to reduce the processing time for procedures.

It is 20 days in these structures against three months previously.

Houses of trust and protection of families have also been created in the region.