“Better late than never”, reacts former soldier Manon Dubois after the announcement of an inspection mission by the ministry

The 23-year-old became a figure in the MeToo movement in the military for revealing that she was the victim of sexual assault while working in the Navy.

“Better late than never”, reacts, Sunday April 14 on franceinfo, Manon Dubois, figure of the MeToo movement in the armies after revealing that she was the victim of sexual assault when she worked in the Navy, after the Ministry of the Armed Forces announced the launch of a mission inspection on sexual violence in its ranks.

The mission aims to improve “all measures for prevention, protection of victims and sanction of attackers”, announced Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Friday. This mission will report its conclusions at the end of May. Moreover, “each time there is a suspicion of rape or sexual assault presenting sufficient plausibility, the person accused will be systematically suspended from duty”write the ministers.

“It had to come to this”

“It’s both a satisfaction but also a little pinching because I tell myself that we had to get to this point for things to happendeclares Manon Dubois, to franceinfo. Obviously, I would have liked that for myself. Precisely, this will ensure that there is no longer this in the future and that they will actually apply this sanction”she continues, estimating however “that there are things not to do, such as carrying out investigations with only people from the army”.

“The fact that they are saying there is no need for repeat offenses, that there really is zero tolerance, that’s what needed to be done from the start.”

Manon Dubois

at franceinfo

The 23-year-old young woman has no “I don’t necessarily have the impression of being a symbol. I just have the impression of having helped the victims to speak out, of having helped to ensure that there was no longer that for others.”

“Am I going to rejoin the army? No, that’s not my goal, assures Manon Dubois. Do I have faith in the army? Not yet. But I really hope that for new people, men and women, who will join the army, they will be able to have enough elements to have faith, especially when it comes to harassment or sexual assault.”