“Did you change for the operating room?” I would have preferred if you came naked”, “Say, external, do you suck well? », “We are asked to perform a vaginal examination on a sleeping patient.” Displayed on signs, testimonies from health students illustrate the varying degrees of brutality of sexist and sexual violence in the hospital world. At the end of May, in front of the Ministry of Health, a few dozen current and future caregivers, as well as patients, expressed their exasperation at the inappropriate gestures and words, the non-respect of consent endured in their course of study or care . Doctor Zoé – a pseudonym used on social networks –, 33 years old, general practitioner, says she was the victim of sexual assault during an integration weekend: “We are more likely to be condemned for non-respect of the brotherhood when we denounce the actions of a colleague than when we rape. It’s a reality. »
A reality embodied by a case that comes up on everyone’s lips: that of Nicolas W., a 26-year-old medical student. Convicted twice for acts of sexual assault committed between 2013 and 2020 on a minor but also on classmates, the young man is preparing to join the boarding school. His career scandalizes a new generation of doctors. Their intransigence in the face of sexist and sexual violence, long kept silent in an environment characterized by strong interpersonal relationships, a still dominant rifle culture, and very marked professional hierarchies, testifies to a profound upheaval in their way of conceiving their training. , but also their profession.
“Sexual predators should not become doctors”, proclaims a petition launched at the end of April. It has collected, to date, more than thirty thousand signatures, and is signed by the Emma Auclert collective. “Emma is one of the most popular first names in my generation. Auclert is in homage to Hubertine Auclert [1848-1914]activist who fought for women’s right to vote », explains, under cover of anonymity, Chloé, one of the members of this collective which brings together around forty medical students from the faculties of Limoges and Tours, the two cities where Nicolas W. completed his university career. In 2021, during his studies in Tours, the young man was the target of five complaints for rape and sexual assault. “The dean of the University of Tours, a former college friend of Nicolas W.’s parents, two renowned doctors, has not taken any action, for which he will be criticized by the general inspectorate of education, sport and of research “, Chloe points out.
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