France: sexual assaults at the Polytechnic school revealed by an internal investigation
Parade of Polytechnique students on July 14 in Paris.
AP - Michel Euler
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The best engineering school in France is not immune to sexual assault.
According to an internal survey, nearly one in four students say they have been the victim of at least one sexual assault during their studies at the establishment.
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The investigation was launched by the École Polytechnique itself following that carried out by another engineering school, CentraleSupélec, which revealed around a hundred sexual assaults and rapes during the year 2020-2021.
“
We decided to react immediately by launching an investigation ourselves to find out what was going on at the Polytechnic school
”, explained this Tuesday to Agence France-Presse François Bouchet, the director general of the prestigious school. , confirming
information from
Le Monde
.
The questionnaire, conducted from January 19 to February 6, in consultation with the students, was completed by around 2,100 young people out of the 3,300 who joined l'X between 2018 and 2021. "
That is more than 60% of responses, a very strong turnout
," noted the CEO.
The results are staggering.
According to this survey, nearly a quarter of female students say they are victims of sexual assault during their schooling.
According to their testimonies, boys rubbed against them, touched their breasts, buttocks and even went so far as to kiss them.
Eleven percent of them explain having received insistent sexual proposals.
Unknowingly drugged
Worse still, three young girls report having been drugged without their knowledge at a party when others claim to be victims of attempted rape or rape during their years at Polytechnique.
This case echoes a special issue of the students' magazine, with accounts of students reporting a sexist culture reigning during their schooling, a consequence, according to them, of the military culture of the school.
In response, the polytechnic school has set up listening cells.
But François Bouchet, the director of the Grande Ecole, insists: "
Without the reports of the victims, we can do nothing, it is a collective responsibility
".
► To read also: Violence against women: associations urge the government to do more
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