"The first virtue of this first national plan to fight against underage prostitution is that we all become collectively aware of this phenomenon, which concerns between 7,000 and 10,000 children, but is constantly increasing, declared the Secretary of State to Childhood, Adrien Taquet, at a press conference.

"Half of them - mostly girls, but also boys - enter prostitution at the age of 14. This concerns all social backgrounds," he said.

Endowed with 14 million euros, this interministerial plan (Childhood, Interior, Justice, National Education, Digital, City, Tourism and Gender Equality) will be rolled out over nine months in 2021 and 2022.

The first part will consist in gaining a better understanding of this still largely unknown phenomenon, thanks to the funding of research projects.

"The associative sector estimates the number of prostituted minors in a range between 7,000 and 10,000, but this remains approximate and perhaps below reality", indicated the report submitted to the government in July by magistrate Catherine Champrenault, whose work inspired the measures of the plan.

To support destitute families facing their child, the government will set up "a unique listening platform" and intends to "network the territory of specialized associations".

It is a question of better identifying the "weak signals" that a young person is in the process of tipping into prostitution: change in behavior, dropping out of school, isolation or running away.

"I was confronted with the incomprehension of the gendarmes. If she went there, it was because she was consenting, they did not understand the phenomenon of influence. They thought that she was making her passes voluntarily," testified at the time. from the press conference Jennifer Pailhé, mother of a young girl who became a prostitute.

Cyberproxenetism

While the Internet is more and more the place of recruitment for prostitution and the means to organize the meetings, the social workers will have reinforced means to carry out "digital maraudes": to go "on the social networks to locate the victims who publish advertisements in order to establish a first contact ", according to Mr. Taquet.

The government also wants to put pressure on apartment rental platforms, where more and more meetings are taking place.

The Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, indicated that he would bring before the European Council, during the French presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2022, "measures to impose on rental accommodation platforms an obligation to respond in investigations concerning the trafficking or procuring of minors ".

"Rental platforms like Airbnb must alert a customer to the risks that his apartment could give rise to prostitution behavior, and use algorithms to detect customers who have suspicious behavior," added Mr. Taquet.

A "referent magistrate" will be appointed in each court.

On the side of the police, the government intends to "strengthen the capacity of investigators under pseudonyms" and develop "investigations into cyberproxenetism".

the Secretary of State for Children, Adrien Taquet, at the National Assembly on September 21, 2021 Christophe ARCHAMBAULT AFP / Archives

Father of a young girl who testified at the press conference, Thierry Delcroix welcomed the announcements on the training of professionals.

"We had in front of us judges, police officers, competent educators, but who did not understand the subject of prostitution. We must open their eyes," he said.

"This plan is a real step forward. It is the first time that I have the feeling that there is a political will to fight against the prostitution of minors", reacted Armelle Le Bigot-Macaux, president of the association. ACPE (Act against child prostitution).

© 2021 AFP