After the online pre-complaint, it is the turn of the complete complaint filing to be digitized. An experiment took place in Sarthe and Yvelines in 2023. On Sunday February 25, 2024, a decree was published in the Official Journal paving the way for the generalization of “videocomplaint” (filing a complaint by videoconference). Find out how to do it and the conditions for filing a complaint remotely.
Who can file a “videocomplaint” and in what cases?
As of February 26, 2024, the videocomplaint system is still in the experimental phase. Although the decree was published in the Official Journal the day before, on February 25, 2024, “these are the legal bases which have entered into force. Concrete generalization will not take place in the territory before fall“, the objective hoped for by the Ministry of the Interior. Until then, the deployment is therefore gradual.
Which departments are affected as of February 26, 2024?
The day after the decree was published in the Official Journal, only 2 departments have access to the video complaint. It is :
When can I file a complaint online?
“Any victim of a criminal offense may file a complaint or have their statements collected by an officer or agent of the judicial police by means of audiovisual telecommunications.“, specifies the decree. This concerns the crimes such as violence, attacks on property (theft, vandalism, fraud including on the Internet, etc.) only filed against. In the event of a complaint relating to sexual assault or sexual assault, the hearing must be carried out physically. In total, 2 million complaints are eligible out of the 3.5 million filed each year, indicated the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
Is the video complaint obligatory?
The videocomplaint is a possibility, not an obligationfurther specifies the text: “the complaint collected by means of audiovisual telecommunications cannot be imposed on the victim. The person has the right, at any time and in all circumstances, to file a complaint with a police department or gendarmerie unit of their choice.“.
How does the video complaint work?
Video complaints are a free service deployed following an experiment initiated in 2023. Good to know: the decree ensures victims have security of their data.
Conditions for filing a video complaint
Three conditions are required to file a video complaint:
- Make sure you have a sufficient internet connection
- Have a means of telecommunications equipped with camera and a microphone and allowing “faithful, loyal and confidential transmission of exchanges“
- Being in a place sheltered from the gaze of others (preferably at home but without there being any obligation in this regard).
How to file a complaint remotely?
It is possible to file a complaint remotely, via videoconferencing, at any time of the day or night.
To file a complaint by video, this is how it works :
- You must use the FranceConnect device. “The victim filing a complaint by means of audiovisual telecommunications identifies himself securely by a defined teleservice and according to terms specified by order of the Minister of the Interior and the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice“
- The victim must then choose an appointment slot to make the statement
- And to log in at the time of the appointment.
What happens once the complaint is filed?
It is important to know that a complaint made remotely does not prevent a subsequent hearing in person.if the nature or seriousness of the facts justifies it“, the decree further specifies.
Regarding receipt of the report: “Once the complaint has been collected, and prior to its signature by the judicial police officer or agent, the complaint report is sent to the victim electronically.“The victim must confirm the said report.”She may request from the judicial police officer or agent any modification that she deems necessary..”
Is signing the report necessary? “The receipt and the report are signed in accordance with the procedures provided for in article 801-1, by the officer or judicial police agent who received the complaint. The complainant’s signature is not required.“