The government decided on Monday to maintain the commission, but dismissed the person who chaired it until then, Judge Edouard Durand.
End of suspense for the Ciivise. The government finally announced the maintenance of Independent commission on incest and sexual violence against children, Monday December 11. “After three years of work (…), it is essential to maintain the momentum created against sexual violence suffered by children”commented the Secretary of State for Children, Charlotte Caubel.
The body will not continue its missions in the same way and will work without its media co-president, judge Edouard Durand, replaced. Franceinfo answers five questions about this new organization.
1 What results for Ciivise, three years after its creation?
La Ciivise was created under the leadership of Emmanuel Macron in March 2021, in the wake of the shock wave caused by the book The Great Family, by Camille Kouchner. In this work, the author accuses her father-in-law, the political scientist Olivier Duhamel, of raping her twin brother. In almost three years of existence, the commission held 27 public meetings, collected nearly 30,000 testimonies and provided the government with a report of 82 recommendations to fight against this “mass crime” which affects, according to her, 160,000 children each year.
At this stage, however, few of these recommendations have been implemented. The proposed law on the loss of parental authority in the event of conviction for incestuous sexual violence is one of the rare measures recommended by the Ciivise which is on the verge of success. The government also launched a communication campaign against incest in mid-September.
For victims of incest, whose testimony franceinfo had collected, Ciivise represented a saving space for speech. Its work was to end on December 31, to the great dismay of those on the ground, elected officials and personalities, who have increased calls since this summer in favor of an extension of its existence. For a time, the executive maintained vagueness about the future of this commission before promising, in mid-November, its continuation, with a new roadmap.
2 What will his new missions be?
For the government, the Ciivise report marked “the end of an essential first step, which made it possible to lift the veil on the extent of sexual violence imposed on children, in particular incest”. He must “open the way to new concrete actions” For “protect children even more” And “take better care” victims of violence.
From now on, the Ciivise will also look into the care of minors who are victims of prostitution or online child crime, the care of perpetrators of sexual violence against minors and the training of professionals in contact with children. “to the most protective gestures”details a government press release.
For Anne Clerc, general delegate of the Face à l’inceste association, interviewed by AFP, “we can only welcome the maintenance” of the commission. However, “we have to see what will be accomplished, we will be attentive to the implementation of the recommendations”. She believes that it would also be necessary to put in place a “evaluation of public policies” in the fight against violence against children.
3 Who will chair the commission?
Judge Edouard Durand took the helm of the commission when it was created, alongside association manager Nathalie Mathieu. The government decided to dismiss the magistrate, although he was popular with associations, who particularly appreciated his independence and outspokenness. His media aura and his repeated questioning of the dysfunctions in the judicial treatment of sexual violence were annoying, according to observers.
The Ciivise will now be chaired by Sébastien Boueilh, ex-rugby player and founder of the Colosse aux pieds d’église association, which fights against sexual violence in the sporting environment. “I am committed to ensuring continuity and entering an operational phase”, he assured. Originally from Landes, Sébastien Bouheil, played by Eric Cantona in a TV film released last May, revealed that he had been raped by his cousin’s husband during his adolescence. According to our information, the choice fell on his profile to participate in freeing the speech of little boys and those who have grown up, between 20 and 30% of victims of sexual violence being male.
He will lead this mission alongside a vice-president, Caroline Rey-Salmon, pediatrician and legal expert at the Paris Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation. A double hat which attracted the attention of the State Secretariat for Children.
4 How does judge Edouard Durand react to his ouster?
Edouard Durand expressed his disappointment on the social networkMonday : “It is not enough to say that the Civic is maintained, because Ciivise is above all the recognition of the words of victims of sexual violence in their childhood by a public body”. However, according to the judge, “the new organization” of the commission “gives no guarantee” let that be the case.
“It is not enough to say that [la Ciivise] is maintained. Because it is not a question of a road map, it is first of all a question of doctrine, a public policy of social support: ‘I believe you – I protect you’.”
Judge Edouard Durandon
Questioned on franceinfo, Tuesday morning, Edouard Durand explains that his ouster was not, however, “A suprise”. He wonders what is wrong with this commission: “The recommendations ? The words of the victims? The messenger ?” The former children’s judge of the Bobigny court (Seine-Saint-Denis) regrets that “moment when the Civil Society returned” to public authorities “30,000 testimonials” collected by his services, in mid-October, no member of the executive had deigned to make the trip. The magistrate thus castigates the “government communication” which, according to him, did not “not a single word about” victims who testified. For Edouard Durand, this can be compared to “an act of denial”.
5 What is the government’s response?
“If the government has chosen to maintain the Ciivise, it is to continue the work that has been carried out,” points out to franceinfo the entourage of the Secretary of State for Children, Charlotte Caubel, assuring that the missions of the commission will continue “at a constant budget”. The previous team had an annual budget of up to “2 million euros”, which was not fully spent.
As for maintaining public meetings, “it’s up to the new pair to know how they want to work, if they want to renew them”underlines this same source.
“We are very happy with the work carried out over three years. But we needed new momentum, a new lease of life to capitalize on this first stone and lay a second.”
Charlotte Caubel’s entourageat franceinfo
“The objective is to go further”, we still guarantee to the State Secretariat. Regarding the non-renewal of Judge Edouard Durand as head of the commission, “it’s the life of any institution”we sweep away, emphasizing the importance of “team logic” to continue the work of the Civil Society.
If you are a child in danger, if you are a person who witnesses or suspects sexual violence against a child or if you wish to seek advice, there is a national telephone number for children in danger: 119, open 24/7. The call is free and the number is not visible on telephone bills. It is also possible to send a written message to 119 via the form to fill out online or to get in touch via an online chat: allo119.gouv.fr. For deaf and hard of hearing people, a specific system is available on the website allo119.gouv.fr.