Domestic violence, where does it start? The details of Guillaume Barbe, lawyer at the Paris bar, specialist in family law and more particularly in domestic violence.
franceinfo: What connection must there be between two people for there to be domestic violence. Is it necessary to be married?
Guillaume Barbe: Absolutely not, for there to be domestic violence, there must be a romantic relationship, with a relationship that can be episodic. The reflexes that we could have, of stability and continuity, are no longer a necessity. The legislator and case law have sought to protect those who are victims of domestic violence, including in episodic relationships.
Can insults be considered domestic violence?
Obviously insults are violence. An insult is enough. The difficulty will be to demonstrate it, but being insulted is felt as violence, and it is prohibited by law.
And physical violence, where does it start?
Violence begins with insults, a shove, and it is already violence. A single slap is obviously violence. All of this must be unacceptable, unacceptable, and of course denounced, for it to be continued.
There is the question of the finding of the offense on this violence...
It’s the most complicated. What can we do to see? Recordings, which it is better for the other to know that it is recorded so that it will be accepted by the courts.
In criminal matters? it is always accepted, in civil matters it is more complicated. This may be third party attestations. I told my friends, in tears, what had happened during the day, it can be an attestation that is of interest. These are messages on social networks, photos, films, all of this can be the beginning of elements that allow us to see the violence.
Among domestic violence there is also sexual violence…
Sexual violence particularly affects very young couples. Sexual violence is an aggravation when it is organized in a marital setting. It just needs to be episodic. The natural interlocutor for those who suffer this violence is obviously the police right away.
There is also economic violence, less known than domestic violence…
If I appropriate the means of payment of the other, it is economic violence, if I appropriate his savings. All violence goes together. I insult, and at the same time, I steal the other’s money. I insult, push him, I scare, and at the same time I close his account, etc.