Emmanuel Macron had announced that he wanted to make the fight against gender-based and sexual violence the great cause of the five-year term in November 2017. But the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin – himself accused of rape but not examined – is aware that the increase in complaints is mainly due to a favorable environment. “These trends are set against the backdrop of free speech and the increased consideration of this topic by law enforcement,” he said in a press release.
Denunciations returned to their pre-pandemic levels in 2021. The statistics service of the Ministry of the Interior (SSMSI) observes an increase of 14% for victims of domestic violence, and 9% for victims of other intentional blows and injuries, in the provisional assessment of delinquency.
Limited funding
The liberation of speech thanks to #Metoo has made it possible to observe an increase in denunciations against gender-based and sexual violence. Between 2010 and 2019, complaints of sexual violence multiplied by 2.4 according to INSEE. Great cause of the five-year term, the budget of the State Secretariat, then of the Ministry Delegate for Equality between Women and Men rose from 22.3 to 41.5 million euros between 2017 and 2021. adds a part of each ministry that fights in its field against gender-based and sexual violence.
In comparison, Spain, often cited as a model of success in its fight against gender-based and sexual violence, signed a pact against gender-based violence over five years to the tune of 200 million per year in 2017. Which makes 1 billion allocated to this cause in 2022. Traveling to Bordeaux, Christiane Taubira, candidate for the popular primary, announced this Thursday that she wanted “a real billion” believing that the increase in sexist and sexual violence “signs the failure of the government and our failure collective.” The candidate relied on the recommendations of the High Council for the Equality of Women and Men to establish this amount.
In Spain, feminicides have not exceeded the 50 mark for several years, while there are more than 100 each year in France.
Law enforcement still insufficient
Four pieces of legislation have been created or strengthened to combat gender-based violence between 2018 and 2022. Among these laws, key texts such as the extension of the 10-year limitation period for sexual crimes, the systematic suspension of authority parental control when the parent is the perpetrator of the spousal homicide, the creation of the device of the anti-reconciliation bracelet or even the seizure of weapons as soon as a complaint is filed. Despite this increase, feminicides are not decreasing in France: there are 113 in 2021.
“We have done a lot of things, even if the crime sometimes reminds us, alas, that we may not have done enough,” said the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, on December 1, before the Women’s Rights Delegation of the National Assembly.
To supplement the law, the contempt of gender offense was created. But it is characterized only if the author is caught red-handed. Besides that, 3919, the number for women victims of violence, has been extended to people with disabilities and is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Under the five-year term, more than 2,700 accommodation places for women victims of violence have been created. At the end of 2021, the places have increased from 5100 to 7820. 1000 additional places in accommodation centers have been announced for 2022.
But according to the report of the women’s foundation, these advances remain insufficient. “At a minimum, to reach the standard of the Istanbul Convention, the number of places should be multiplied by two and the budget by three”, according to the report of the women’s foundation. While the measures add up, the dysfunctions in the care of victims are still present, such as the Chahinez affair or the DoublePeine hashtag.