An agreement between the Lille hospital center and the prosecution should encourage the filing of complaints by victims and support them in their efforts.
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Goal : “strengthen the protection of victims”, “to prevent the commission of more serious offences” and “simplify the journey of victims”. The Lille University Hospital will now be able to report acts of domestic violence directly to the courts, with the consent of the victims, thanks to an agreement signed by the hospital and the prosecution, the two institutions announced on Monday, February 7. “Until then, women treated at the medico-judicial unit (UMJ) or in the emergency room of the Lille University Hospital in the context of domestic violence had to go on their own initiative to a police station or a gendarmerie to file a complaint. In fact, many women did not follow up”explain the Lille prosecutor’s office and the hospital center in a press release.
The agreement signed on Friday “now allows the Lille University Hospital to report acts of violence directly to the public prosecutor’s office, with the victim’s prior consent, to promote their filing of a complaint and support them in their subsequent steps”.
“With this new device, patients will be systematically sent to the UMJ and will be able to complete a consent to report form, which will be immediately forwarded to the courts”, according to the press release. The victim “will be recontacted very quickly by the police to offer him to establish a complaint in good and due form, by appointment”.
Patients opposed to reporting will be given “exam report” and “will be informed of the possibility of recontacting the unit after reflection”add the authors.
However, this system differs from situations which, “in accordance with the law, allow the doctor to lift medical secrecy” on acts of domestic violence, without the consent of the victim. This is possible in case of “immediate danger to the life of the adult victim who finds himself unable to protect himself due to an influence, minor patient or finally patient not being able to protect himself because of his age or his incapacity physical or mental”.