Four things to know about filing a complaint by video, gradually becoming more widespread from Monday

A decree published on Sunday offers the possibility of filing a complaint entirely online. For certain offenses, it will now be possible to take a video statement.

Reduce congestion at police stations and reduce waiting times. These are the objectives of the video complaint, which will gradually be generalized throughout the territory, according to a decree published on Sunday February 25 in the Official Journal. The principle ? Give citizens the opportunity to give their testimony from their home, in the case of the least serious offenses. This text arises from the orientation and programming law of the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories, passed in January 2023.

Franceinfo details four things to know about this new 100% digital device.

1 The service was experienced in two departments

The video complaint has already been in force since May 2023 for residents of the Sarthe department, recalls the website of the Ministry of the Interior. Several towns in Yvelines were also affected.

Its deployment to the rest of the national territory will take several months. Although it starts from Monday February 26, it will not be truly available everywhere until autumn 2024, according to the National Police.

2 It is free and optional

Computer, tablet, telephone, etc. All the usual equipment is compatible with the device, provided that the user has a webcam and a FranceConnect identifier, which allows users to access State services online. Another condition: having a connection of sufficient quality so that the police officer or gendarme can “ensure the identity of the victim”.

The connection is made from “secure way using a defined teleservice”, assures the decree. The victim must select an appointment slot, which allows them to make their statement from their home or from a “place where she will not be exposed to the gaze of others”, specifies the Ministry of the Interior on its website. This simplified procedure service is optional: it will of course remain possible to file a complaint at the police station or gendarmerie. It is also completely free.

3 Complaints relating to sexual assault excluded from the system

A face-to-face hearing remains mandatory for two types of offenses: sexual assault and sexual assault (which concerns minors under the age of 15).

On the other hand, all other attacks against property and people are eligible for this new system. Theft, violence, threats, discrimination, breach of trust, cyberharassment and scams can thus be the subject of complaints via videoconference, without the victim having to go to a police station. or in the police station.

Investigators may, however, require a face-to-face hearing. “if the nature or seriousness of the facts justifies it”provides for the decree published in the Official Journal.

4 A complementary system for online complaints

The video complaint differs from the online complaint. The latter does not involve communicating remotely with a police or gendarmerie officer, but takes the form of a form in which the complainant presents the facts to the authorities.

Only the simplest cases, such as damage to property (theft, vandalism, breach of trust or even fraud, including on the internet) are concerned. Another criterion: the online complaint is only possible if it is filed against X, that is to say if the author has not been identified.

Experimented in Gironde since December, the online complaint will be generalized to the rest of France in the summer, said Emmanuel Macron on Friday February 9.