at the Chartres court, specialized hearings on violence against women

The president and the prosecutor settle down for a private hearing. Wednesday March 8, the court of Chartres (Eure-et-Loir) will try six men, accused of violence against their spouse. The first to appear was 24 years old, the dispute degenerated against a background of alcohol. “We are not on a headache. When we argue in a couple, we do not go to the criminal court”recalls Guillaume Bobet, the vice-president of the judicial court of Chartres.

A specialized audience once a month

The Chartres court has decided to create a specialized hearing, once a month. To give herself courage, a woman came with her sister, who urged her to file a complaint. The husband no longer has the right to contact his wife for four months. He minimizes the facts of which he is accused, which annoys the prosecutor. “What you are accused of is being violent on a daily basis. (…) You don’t insult your wife, you don’t punch her, you don’t kick her”, he asserts. The man has started alcohol withdrawal, and must do a compulsory internship on domestic violence. The couple will spend the next two years under surveillance.