in Clermont-Ferrand, domestic violence is judged separately, in a specialized criminal chamber

“When I was pregnant with my first daughter, he hit me a lot. The same for my second pregnancy. He didn’t hit me in the stomach. For a whole day, he threatened to kill me, he said it night and day . I was really scared for myself and for my daughters.” This chilling story, taken from the testimony of a victim of domestic violence, is read at the hearing by the president of an unusual criminal chamber, practically unique in France.

“Special Envoy” obtained exceptional authorization to install its cameras in this specialized center set up at the Clermont-Ferrand court. It is dedicated to not only domestic violence but, more broadly, intra-family violence. It is made up of volunteer magistrates, specifically trained. Three to four times a month, they preside over hearing days exclusively devoted to this violence.

For a faster criminal response, the specialized chamber aims to judge these cases within six months, on average, after the facts. But this requirement does not prevent an in-depth examination of the files: the number of those presented is reduced compared to a traditional correctional hearing, in order to be able to devote more time to each case.

Work in coordination with several actors

This court, unlike any other, works alongside a victims’ assistance association, Avec 63 (Victims Association, Listening, Advice). All complainants are contacted before the hearings, and are offered support with a psychologist. His role is to advise them, but also to reassure them, while the approach of the hearing and the prospect of being confronted with their attacker generates a lot of stress.

Each hearing is prepared several weeks in advance, by a lawyer specializing in domestic violence. This position does not exist in other courts, but it is at the heart of the system put in place in Clermont-Ferrand. “The specificity of domestic violence is that the victims know their attacker, explains Mathilde Besse, project manager at this judicial court, so I’m going to see if we haven’t already had knowledge of this family’s situation, either through the family affairs judge, or through the children’s judge… or if we haven’t already had cases for acts of violence by spouse which have been classified…”

An educational effect on violent men

For the magistrates who will preside over the hearing, like Flora Tardif, “have all the information on a situation, the accused, his family situation, and also the victim […] allows you to have a real vision of the problems, so that there is no recurrence afterwards. That’s the goal.”

How can we make perpetrators of violence, tried in the same room one after the other for similar acts, understand the seriousness of their actions? Judge Flora Tardif remembers defendants declaring on the stand, after previous hearings: “I have heard the other cases, I don’t want to be like those people, and yet it was me who committed the acts”… Facts that they had until then denied.

Excerpt from “Judging violent men”, a report to be seen in “La Spéciale d’Envoyé. When women are targeted” on November 23, 2023.

> Replays of France Télévisions news magazines are available on the Franceinfo website and its mobile application (iOS & Android), “Magazines” section.