Abuse: associations call on Macron to better protect children

Europe 1 with AFP 10:34 a.m., June 01, 2022

Eight associations are calling on President Emmanuel Macron to "correct the dysfunctions" in the protection of child victims of abuse and incest, according to an open letter consulted by AFP on Tuesday.

Associations for child protection, professionals, or bringing together mothers - CDP Enfance, Reppea, Protecting the Child, Peau d'Âme, #WeToo, Preventing and Protecting, Collectif Enfantiste, Innocence en Danger - addressed at the end of May an open letter to the candidates for the presidential election on this subject.

They ask "that each time the terms 'parental alienation syndrome', 'parental alienation' (...) are used by a judge or by an expert, a second opinion be systematically carried out and that the final decision be taken collegially".

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The fear of sanctions from the College of Physicians

Developed by the very controversial American psychiatrist Richard Gardner, the "parental alienation syndrome" (PAS) lends to one of the parents the intention to manipulate their child to exclude the other parent.

Not officially recognized, it is mentioned during legal proceedings and, according to associations, is used to discredit the word of the child who evokes incestuous facts.

In addition, the signatory associations request that "the Council of the Order of Physicians can no longer exercise disciplinary sanctions for interference in family life against doctors who have issued medical certificates in such contexts".

“The fear of these sanctions contributes to the low rate of reports made by doctors”, they indicate, while according to the High Authority for Health only 5% of reports of abuse come from doctors.

The Council of State on Monday canceled the temporary ban on practicing medicine imposed by the Order of Physicians on a child psychiatrist from Toulouse, Dr Eugénie Izard, for having reported suspicions of abuse to a juvenile judge.

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Prohibit the use of parental alienation syndrome

Adults seeking to protect child victims of abuse and incest "very often come up against a wall of virulent attacks from the Council of the Order of Physicians and the judicial institution, mechanisms that are nevertheless responsible for the protection of childhood", believe the associations.

Responsible for making public policy recommendations to better protect children, the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (Ciivise) calls for protecting "protective" doctors from disciplinary proceedings and "prohibiting the use of pseudo parental alienation syndrome".