“I will make sexual crimes against minors imprescriptible”

The Socialist Party candidate for the presidential election agreed to answer Aufeminin’s questions on the sidelines of the electoral campaign. She returns to various themes that are dear to us, ranging from women’s rights togender equality to women’s health. Anne Hidalgo was also questioned about violence against women.

On this subject, the candidate intends to improve the care of victims at the police station by setting up “a unique reference system”. What’s more, “a liaison officer will be appointed to follow up each victim”. Finally, on the sexual violence inflicted on children, the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo wants to recognize “the concept of traumatic amnesia and the psychotraumatic consequences of gender-based and sexual violence and make sexual crimes against minors affected by it imprescriptible.”

Anne Hidalgo: her positions to fight against violence against women

In 2021, 113 women died, killed by blows from their spouse or ex-spouse. How do you intend to facilitate the filing of complaints and encourage victims to speak?

I will create specialized reception centers throughout the territory, open 24 hours a day. In these centers, specialized personnel (medical, legal, psychological, interpreter for foreigners) receive, direct and advise victims, in a more welcoming than a police station. The victims will be able to benefit from the necessary medical samples and decide whether or not to file a complaint.

I will make automatic the suspension of the exercise of parental authority for the spouse found guilty of domestic violence, to protect the victim of violence, but above all to protect child witnesses, who are just as much victims. An abusive parent is not a good parent, and we need to stop pretending that he can be one.

The care of victims at the police station is complicated, painful and sometimes risky. How do you intend to facilitate their filing of complaints and improve the reception of victims?

I will set up a unique referrer system. A liaison officer will be appointed to follow up each victim. This referent will systematically inform the victim of the progress of his complaint, will help him with the formalities, will explain the process to him, then in the event of conviction, will inform him before the release of the convicted person.

I will improve the sharing of information, at the local level, between Justice, law enforcement, prison services and associations specialized in supporting women victims of violence.

In 2020, one in five victims had already filed a complaint. How to better apply the law and avoid recidivism? Isn’t there a legal way to protect women victims of violence?

I will strengthen the protection order system with an extension of its duration, easier renewal and legal aid for victims of domestic violence.

Should the notion of feminicide enter French law?

This is a delicate question because it is complicated to establish a hierarchy between intentional homicides and to begin to name them by category. However, faced with the magnitude of the phenomenon, everything must be studied and if such a development can provide a real answer, I am ready to consider it.

Should a member of the government accused of sexual assault or violence be kept in office?

I am for the presumption of innocence, but this only makes sense if it is accompanied by real means to allow justice to work in more efficient and also faster conditions. This is part of the billion objectives that I will devote to the fight against violence against women. But this is not yet the case today, and I understand that in the meantime this is unbearable for the victims and that a suspension for the time of the investigation and the judgment must be considered.

Anne Hidalgo: her positions to fight against sexual crimes

1 in 2 women has already suffered sexual violence in France. How do you intend to fight against this?

I will set up specialized courts and brigades in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence. In Spain, this has enabled better responsiveness in the measures to protect women victims.

A third of women who had a first unwanted sexual intercourse were under 15 at the time of the incident. Is this minimum age of consent sufficient?

Socialist parliamentarians fought for an age threshold to be set, below which sexual penetration would be considered de facto rape. It is a victory but we know that there are risks that, as for adult victims, this crime will be corrected and that the act of penetration will not be judged. I will end the correctionalization of crimes. While the associations estimate that 80% of rape trials would be judged in correctional courts, and not before an assize court, I believe that the victims must have the trial to which they are entitled.

I will also give more means to the police to enable them, in connection with the Social Aid for Children in particular, to fight against the prostitution of minors which continues to increase.

On incest, can the imprescriptibility of sexual crimes be included in the penal code? And how to promote the release of the words of the victims?

I will recognize the notion of traumatic amnesia and the psychotraumatic consequences of sexist and sexual violence and will make sexual crimes against minors affected by it imprescriptible. I will promote at the same time, through the training of the various stakeholders, the voice of the victims

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