Eugenie Izard, a child psychiatrist for 16 years, is now banned from practicing medicine. The reasons for his conviction? Having reported suspected child abuse.
"Today I am paying the price for my commitment… my commitment to protect children from abuse."
It all started in 2015. Dr. Izard followed a child in psychotherapy, she then reported facts of abuse. "I did not close my eyes despite the fact that her father, whom she accused of mistreatment, was a doctor. Several years of pressure and retaliation followed until this final outrageous conviction," confides Eugenie Izard in an interview with Marie Claire.
She then decides to fight to exercise her profession freely and co-founded the REPPEA (Network of professionals for the protection of children and adolescents). She receives a first complaint from the father suspected of mistreatment. Five years later, Eugénie Izard was sentenced by the national disciplinary chamber of the Order of Physicians to a three-month ban from practicing medicine, because she "a report to the juvenile judge" and "not to the prosecutor or to the worrying information collection unit (Crip)".
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"The time is serious for the future of the protection of children, this conviction for violation of professional secrecy because I sent a report to a judge for children is scandalous and aims to further prohibit doctors from being able to communicate with professionals responsible for protecting children ", deplores the child psychiatrist.
However, this practice is well authorized by the provisions of article L.226-2-2 of the code of social action and families resulting from the law n ° 2007-293 of March 5, 2007 which authorizes the sharing "of 'worrying information' between professionals concerned with child protection.
“You defend the children and you find yourself on the dock…”
For Eugenie Izard, this conviction risks further weakening the profession. "Such a condemnation is serious because it will further contribute to terrorize the entire profession which is already more than cautious when we know that only 2% of reports come from doctors", she laments.
“I am also reproached in this sentence for having, through" advice, in my capacity as President of REPPEA, supported the mother in her various efforts aimed at having the existence of acts of mistreatment committed by the father to the for children ". I do not understand how I violated my ethical obligations (…) "You defend children and you find yourself on the dock …", she emphasizes.
“It is absolutely necessary to change these extremely poorly made laws”
Today, the child psychiatrist has decided to assert her rights with the Council of State, in order to "Change these extremely poorly made laws which still allow the prosecution of professionals who want to do their work of protecting children and hinder them in this already very difficult exercise".
Laws that would protect and benefit the culprits. “Almost all child psychiatrists refuse to see a child if there is no agreement from both parents and most psychologists are also afraid of reprisals from that side (…) father who commits incest will accept that a shrink follows his child at the risk of making a report? It's ridiculous", she laments.
As a reminder, every day, 2 children die of abuse and 86.8% of abuse is intra-family.