Two Lens supporters filed a complaint for “sexist and sexual outrage”, and nine others a pre-complaint, following searches that one of them describes as “shameful” during their entry into the visitors’ park of the match. Havre-Lens on October 20.
Active member of a section of RC Lens supporters, Amandine*, 28 years old, had never experienced this. During her trip to Le Havre, last Friday October 20, the Sang et Or supporter said she was searched “pushing at the level of private parts” before entering the Océane stadium. She filed a complaint on Thursday, November 2, for “sexist and sexual outrage: comments or behavior with sexual or sexist connotations that violate dignity or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive situation imposed on a person”, according to a document that franceinfo: sport was able to consult. Other Lensoise supporters present in Le Havre are still waiting to be received like her at a police station to file a complaint.
Contacted on Monday November 6, the Le Havre club specified that to date, it has not received any complaints against it on this subject. He recalls that “entry to the visitors’ stand is in the presence of the stewards of the visiting club as well as the police” and would like to offer “From next week, the visiting club will mandate an additional person to check the opposing team’s yard.”
Franceinfo: sport: What happened during the search when you arrived at the Océane stadium before Le Havre-Lens?
Amandine*: The organization was complicated. We arrived a little late, around 45 minutes before kick-off. We proceed to the search, with only one steward. I would like to point out that she was a steward from a private company, not the SIR [Section d’intervention rapide, une unité de police], nor the CRS. As we remember, the CRS were not present at the venue, and our stewards managed the flows upstream. She searched us in a shameful way. Usually we are made to remove the hood and open the jacket, which she did, and then the actions got out of hand, with a thorough search of the private parts. Normally, we already pass our hands over the contours of the breasts and in between, to see if there are any smoke bombs or explosives. I already find it limiting, except that there, we found ourselves with both of our breasts in her two hands, and she kneaded. I stiffened. Then, it went down the length of my legs, it came up to the level of the buttocks, and touched my buttocks. Then she moved forward and I clearly felt her finger on my cock.
You often take part in travel. Was this the first time the search took place like this?
Yes, it was the first time I felt such embarrassment. We have already experienced vigorous searches, notably by the CRS or the SIR, but never to this extent. A policewoman never touched my penis. The girls who are with me are used to it too, and they all told me the same thing: they have never felt this way. The younger ones, who are less used to it, didn’t say anything, because they thought it was normal. We are in a period of heightened attack vigilance, so they said to themselves that perhaps they were looking for explosives more than usual.
Did you call out to the steward at that time?
No. I’m used to parking lots and I told myself that this time I was out of luck. I asked myself a lot of questions: maybe she’s not controlling her movements well, maybe she’s just starting out, but I didn’t say anything. Once the search was over, I started talking about it to the girls I met, and all of them – I emphasize all of them – told me that they had experienced a horrible search. Some even told me that their bra or bra had risen above their chest because it was so violent. Some had their breasts pinched. In terms of sex, there are five or six of us who have suffered this, which is already too many.
I spoke about it to our supporters representative, who asked me to describe the facts to him, so that he could report them to the Le Havre club. I launched a call for witnesses the next day too, and now we have a WhatsApp group with 17 Lensoises. Today, we are waiting, because we wanted to file a complaint at the Lens police station, but there was a 3.5 hour wait, so we were advised to fill out pre-complaints. There are eleven of us who made the pre-complaint, two who signed the complaint at the police station, and the others are waiting for a call to sign.
Have you received any testimonies from supporters of other clubs who have also undergone this type of search in Le Havre?
Yes, I had a lot of feedback from Lille, who were in Le Havre two weeks before us. They experienced the same search, most likely by the same person, since their physical description of the steward matches the one who searched us. I have also had four feedback from Lorient and Brest residents so far, who have described exactly the same actions and actions.
Has the Le Havre club apologized to you?
No, we have not received any apology from Le Havre. But the club requested that the complaint be filed against him. [Contacté lundi 6 novembre, Le Havre conteste avoir fait cette demande.] We planned to file a complaint against the private security company, but the HAC wants to assume its responsibility as organizer of the match. That’s the only feedback we got. Now what’s done is done. We think of the girls who came before us who dared not say anything and those who will come after us. It doesn’t make sense to be apprehensive about being searched on your way to the stadium. While also knowing that men very regularly have very thorough searches and no one speaks because we have trivialized this.
Have you received criticism for daring to talk about this?
Yes, I talked about it in other media, and there were some really disgusting comments. “If we are not happy, we must stay at home.” “Women’s place is not in the parks.” “If we are not ready to take on this kind of thing, we must stay at home…”. A guy told us that it was normal that we were searched more because we put smoke bombs in our vaginas. There is pressure from certain sexist guys who push some people not to speak. Today, I encourage girls to speak up. You shouldn’t be afraid of these people and I have the impression that the girls are quite revolted. There is a chance that it will go even further, because the Lille women are ready to join us, so there will perhaps be a complaint from them too. We are not calling for the dismissal of this steward, but above all for better training for stewards. I remain convinced that the lady who searched us received instructions from her superiors. She was also alone in searching many women, and that’s a problem. Everyone knows that Lensois travel in numbers, so it should be anticipated, so that everything goes better.
This took place in a context where the movements of supporters are increasingly regulated…
We are clearly considered animals. Animals, or prisoners. We are sometimes parked in parking lots too small to accommodate everyone, surrounded by armed riot police, who speak badly to us and yell at us to give us their instructions. In Monaco they made us take off our shoes, we were lined up 10 by 10 along a barrier and we had our entire body sniffed by Malinois or German shepherds. I feel like I’m going to prison. And we have the right to say nothing, even though we are there to watch football and party. And again, for men it’s worse. Friends tell me: there isn’t a match where someone doesn’t complain about having their genitals groped. Always on the move, I point out, because at home it’s much less extensive. I hear that there is a fight against firecrackers, smoke bombs, that it is for our safety. But what’s the next step? Get naked?
*The first name has been changed