“It’s not true that women don’t speak. But today, society still doesn’t listen to them enough”, reacted Friday August 26 on franceinfo Anne-Cécile Mailfert, president of the Women’s Foundation, while 122 victims of feminicides were identified in France in 2021, according to a study by the Ministry of the Interior. This figure is up 20% compared to 2020.
franceinfo: The majority of female victims of femicide in 2021 had reported being subjected to domestic violence to the police. What’s your reaction ?
Anne-Cecile Mailfert: What is certain is that it is not true that women do not speak. But today, society still does not listen to them enough and above all, does not react enough when it realizes that these women are victims of violence. Because even when they go to report it to the police, it sometimes takes several complaints for there to be investigations triggered. And the difference between 2020 and 2021, with 20% more feminicides, we directly correlate to the fact that the police and the justice system focused on this subject in 2020, with the Covid and the confinements. And then we saw a relaxation in 2021, with other priorities arriving, such as urban rodeos, which came to bottle up the work of investigators and justice. Whereas in 2020, we really talked a lot about domestic violence, which had been very beneficial since we had seen a drop in feminicides.
The work that perhaps needs to be done is to assess the danger that these women incur when they come to lodge a complaint?
It’s not necessarily always easy, but there are a few key elements. For example, the question should always be asked: Does this person have a firearm?, because we know that it is the weapon most used in cases of femicide. This is already a first decisive element, which allows you to react immediately. Women’s complaints should be taken very seriously. When we talk about a woman who is in danger of death, it can be really very fast.
“Most feminicides are committed three weeks after the separation. The moment the lady goes to file a complaint, that’s when she must be immediately protected.”
Anne-Cécile Mailfert, President of the Women’s Foundationat franceinfo
Isabelle Rome, the Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men, speaks of “chilling” figures despite the means released. Do you recognize a financial effort from the State?
In view of the problem we are talking about, there are really very few things released in financial terms. On the other hand, it is certain that there is a mobilization of society as a whole and of the State. We have seen public service professionals much more mobilized, associations which have redoubled their efforts, especially during confinement. On the other hand, we still see a relaxation.
“We hear little Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, talk about this subject. Nor does the Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti, and it is felt on the ground.”
Anne-Cecile Mailfertat franceinfo
And when we know that since Me Too, there are 66% more women filing complaints, 66% more investigators should have been hired.