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If the number of complaints and cases handled for sexual violence has increased significantly since #metoo in France, the Institute of Public Policies recalls in its latest note a cruel reality: almost 9 out of 10 complaints are unsuccessful.
In France, nearly 15% of women aged 20 to 69 report having been victims of rape, attempted rape or another form of sexual assault at least once during their life. And many people have dared to go through the door of a police station since the metoo movement in 2017 to file a complaint against their attacker. Except that according to a note from the Public Policy Institute published on April 3, the prosecution rate remains extremely low.
Lack of evidence, files closed without success
The note is based on 2012-2021 data from the Cassiopeia system used for entering, recording and processing criminal justice files. The figures extracted demonstrate a large gap between the cases reported and the files processed.
Thus, 86% of complaints for sexual violence and 72% of complaints for domestic violence are dismissed. In addition, the share of classified rapes increased from 86% in 2016 to 94% in 2020.
The note also indicates that the legal difficulty also differs in these cases from other criminal offenses. Thus, in sexual violence, it is not because the perpetrator is unknown that the prosecution stops, but because it seems difficult to provide concrete elements in this type of case. “Cases of sexual and domestic violence are mostly closed due to a lack of evidence, even though the perpetrator is often known and identified. analyzes the document.
Good in his body, good in his head!
Reports which are nevertheless constantly increasing
However, a sign of a word that is revealed, the document also highlights a sharp increase in reports of sexual violence, which coincides with “the post #MeToo freedom of speech movement in 2017, the Grenelle on domestic violence two years later and the distribution of numerous circulars intended for magistrates” according to Maëlle Stricot, the author of the report. Reports that require legal treatment to be heard. And continued with the greatest confidence.
However, it is difficult to speak, when the perpetrator is prosecuted in only 14% of cases, and found guilty in 13% of cases, with only 11% of all cases resulting in a prison sentence.
The only consolation is that when the cases are successful, the sentences handed down turn out to be harsher than for other offenses. They are on average 6.8 months of imprisonment for cases of sexual harassment, 19.6 months for sexual assault and 29.6 months for rape.
As a reminder, if you are concerned about violence sexualTHE or marital, the 3919 and the government website Let’s stop the violence is there to inform you.