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On February 6, the National Consultative Council for Persons with Disabilities (CNCPH) presented a series of proposals concerning the intimate, affective and sexual life of persons with disabilities. Among them, experimentation with sexual assistance was retained. A small victory, according to Julia Tabath, general secretary of the Ch(s)ose association, which has been campaigning for this implementation for several years.
“This decision is truly a step forward because we have not been able to get the National Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities to take a position until now.” says Julia Tabath, general secretary of the Ch(s)ose association. “This is a first step, we must continue to move forward and we now hope that the government will follow up: we have never been so close to winning our case!” she adds. This decision is the experimentation of sexual assistance for people with disabilities.
What is a sex assistant?
A sexual assistant is a person who receives appropriate training to enable people with disabilities to access sensual and sexual pleasure, ranging from simple caress to sexual intercourse.
In France, this job is currently not recognized. “The people who practice today in France were trained in Switzerlandexplains Julia Tabath.The problem is that no legal framework governs the relationship that may exist between a sex worker and a person with a disability”.
More seriously, the person with a disability can be accused of having recourse to prostitution, while the person who connects the two protagonists can be accused of procuring.
The associations plead for the legalization of these reports
Faced with this situation, the associations have been pleading for a long time for the establishment of an appropriate framework. “This is not to completely regulate the relationship, since it involves two consenting adults. But a framework must be defined: this makes it possible to prevent certain feelings from arising on the side of the person with a disability, on the one hand and on the other hand, it also avoids situations of “word against word” if after a meeting, the person with a disability would mention a rape, for example. Today, everything works on trust, but that is not enough“adds Julia Tabath.
The need for a legal framework
In the accepted proposal, the CNCPH therefore proposes “the implementation of pilot projects involving sexual assistance in a few territories and the authorization of sexual assistance on a derogatory basis so that the beneficiary of the service, the manager, the professionals and the sexual assistant. enjoy legal protection”.
Finally, the objective is to provide an answer to each person with a disability, on a case-by-case basis: “no question of systematism“supports the general secretary.”But we must also remember that it will not be possible for the person with a disability to choose their assistant or assistant: it would then be prostitution and that is not at all what we are aiming for. concludes Julia Tabath.