It is the international day for the elimination of violence against women. We know that it is often difficult for victims to file a complaint. In particular because they do not feel sufficiently confident, or are accompanied by the police. The authorities are trying to find solutions. Thus in Marseille, where the North division police station has set up a dedicated reception center.
with our correspondent in Marseille, Yoram Melloul
Victims of violence need only place their hand on an orange paper to discreetly signal themselves at the entrance and be taken apart. Women victims of violence, there are one or two a day in this police station.
Virginie Bénard takes care of the reception. She learned to spot them. ” They will be quite withdrawn, they will be quite shy. And they always find it difficult to position themselves as a victim: ‘Yes, but he’s the father of my children, yes, but I didn’t do that well enough’ “. But they are victims and we have to make it clear to them.
Everything depends on the speed of support. ” Unfortunately, if you let them wait too long, they can think twice. And say to yourself ‘yes wait, I’m going to file a complaint and that will lead to that’ … so it’s important that these people are taken care of very quickly », Adds Virginie Bénard.
A four-hour module on domestic violence has been added to police training. And to improve the reception, the prefect of police of Bouches-du-Rhône, Frédérique Camilleri, promises that the services are listening to victims mistreated in the police stations. ” The final objective is that the people who make the process of coming to this police station can be supported in an optimal way, explain to us Frédérique Camilleri, and that there is no brake that prevents them from going to the end of this process. ”
Since 2016, the number of complaints for domestic violence has increased by 50% in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. Sign, according to the police chief, that the reception has improved.