Violence against women in France - statistics & facts
At the beginning of September 2024, a historical trial was about to start in Avignon, southeast France. Since the victim authorized the trial to be public, French public opinion learned about the existence of a terrible series of crimes committed during almost a decade. Between 2011 and 2020, Dominique Pélicot the main defendant, recruited more than 80 men on a dating website and invited them to his home in Mazan, for them to rape his wife Gisèle Pélicot, a 71-year-old at the time of the trial, while she was unconscious due to the strong somnolent drugs he secretly administered to her. Dominique Pélicot recorded and kept videos of these criminal acts on his laptop, which later would help the police identify 50 of the men who took part in the rapes.
While being a woman, in terms of social category, is already a factor of discrimination, some women find themselves at the intersection of several of these factors. Thus, although France "does not see colors", and there are no studies on race, in the social sense of the term, of the victims of sexist and sexual violence, there is no doubt that sexist and misogynistic stereotypes severely affect minority women. The same applies to lesbians, who, by doubly transgressing the social norm of heterosexuality, are more affected than heterosexual women, or for transgender women, whose assaults, fueled by a combination of transphobia and sexism, are numerous. In addition, with sexual violence being a matter of class and precariousness, sex workers are also more vulnerable to violence. Finally, women with disabilities are also at greater risk of gender-based and sexual violence: in 2018, nine percent of women living with disabilities reported experiencing physical or sexual violence, compared to 5.8 percent of women without disabilities.
While traumatic memory should be considered, other factors tend to explain the reluctance of some victims to file a complaint. Between 2012 and 2021, 86 percent of all cases of sexual violence were abandoned, mainly because of a lack of evidence from the crime commission. In addition, in 2021, only one-third of victims who filed a complaint of domestic and sexual violence reported positive treatment from the authorities. Among the types of mistreatments identified, a survey shows that the most frequent type is the trivialization of the facts (more than two-thirds of respondents reported this), followed by the refusal of police to take the complaint. And yet, in France, the receipt of complaints is a legal obligation for police officers.
In addition, in many cases of femicide, previous violence had already been reported to law enforcement. While the Court of Appeals is deploying restraining bracelets and protection orders, these numbers show the inadequacy of the judicial response to violence against women.
Victims of sexual violence
The “Pélicot Trial” shocked France for many reasons, but one of them was the random profile of the perpetrators. They are journalists, firefighters, gardeners, pensioners, husbands, and fathers. The trial demonstrates how rape culture and sexual violence against women is still a global problem in the country, affecting all socio-categories within society. Moreover, according to the Ministry of Justice figures, children are also often victims of this violence mostly perpretated by men. Indeed out of 34,588 rapes reported to the police forces in 2022, nearly one-third were committed on victims under 15 years old. And among the victims of rape, assault or sexual harassment aged under 18, more than eight out of ten were girls.While being a woman, in terms of social category, is already a factor of discrimination, some women find themselves at the intersection of several of these factors. Thus, although France "does not see colors", and there are no studies on race, in the social sense of the term, of the victims of sexist and sexual violence, there is no doubt that sexist and misogynistic stereotypes severely affect minority women. The same applies to lesbians, who, by doubly transgressing the social norm of heterosexuality, are more affected than heterosexual women, or for transgender women, whose assaults, fueled by a combination of transphobia and sexism, are numerous. In addition, with sexual violence being a matter of class and precariousness, sex workers are also more vulnerable to violence. Finally, women with disabilities are also at greater risk of gender-based and sexual violence: in 2018, nine percent of women living with disabilities reported experiencing physical or sexual violence, compared to 5.8 percent of women without disabilities.
A deficient judicial system
After an assault or a crime has been committed, the victim's struggle continues when facing the authorities and the judicial system. Indeed, the discourse surrounding violence against women in the media and French society often ignores the psycho-traumatic mechanisms at work among victims. Thus, if trauma studies teach us that victims in a state of shock or paralysis cannot defend themselves when their physical or psychological integrity is threatened, post-traumatic mechanisms also explain why the victim does not immediately realize the violence they have just experienced. Thus, because of this traumatic memory, the delay between the event and its disclosure can be very long.While traumatic memory should be considered, other factors tend to explain the reluctance of some victims to file a complaint. Between 2012 and 2021, 86 percent of all cases of sexual violence were abandoned, mainly because of a lack of evidence from the crime commission. In addition, in 2021, only one-third of victims who filed a complaint of domestic and sexual violence reported positive treatment from the authorities. Among the types of mistreatments identified, a survey shows that the most frequent type is the trivialization of the facts (more than two-thirds of respondents reported this), followed by the refusal of police to take the complaint. And yet, in France, the receipt of complaints is a legal obligation for police officers.
Strengthening state implication
Given these deficiencies in the judicial system, in France associations play a key role. Organizations that help victims of gender-based and sexual violence mostly provide support and accommodation facilities, aimed at keeping female victims of violence and their children safe. Although the government supports these associations, its participation remains insufficient and, according to a recent survey should be improved. For example, in 2023 French authorities had reserved 9,820 emergency accommodation places, which represents a significant increase compared to the number of places available in the previous decade but remains largely insufficient. Indeed, according to the Haut Conseil pour l'Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes, more than 20,000 women and children need emergency accommodation each year to help them leave a violent spouse.In addition, in many cases of femicide, previous violence had already been reported to law enforcement. While the Court of Appeals is deploying restraining bracelets and protection orders, these numbers show the inadequacy of the judicial response to violence against women.
