The government will launch a shock awareness campaign on Friday to combat sexual violence against children. Anne Clerc, general delegate of the Face à l’inceste association “welcomes the approach”, but would like the fight to last over time.
Spots broadcast on television, in cinemas or even on social networks. A government awareness campaign, intended to combat sexual violence against children, will be on your screens from Friday September 15, 2023. An operation directly inspired by the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (Ciivise), a year ago.
>> Sexual violence against children: the government announces an awareness campaign which will be launched on September 15
General delegate of the Face à l’incest association, Anne Clerc “welcome the approach”, but believes that this campaign will not be sufficient to fight against the scourge in France. The government actually reminds “that a child is the victim of incest, rape or sexual assault every three minutes”.
“We are proposing a plan which must be long-lasting (…) recurring. This must not be a single campaign”
Anne Clerc, general delegate of the Face à l’incest associationat franceinfo
franceinfo: What do you think of this campaign?
Anne-Clerc, general delegate of the Face à l’incest association:
We welcome the approach of this campaign since there has not been one since 2022, and in particular the mention of incest in prevention campaigns aimed at the general public, at peak audience times. On the other hand, we raise the question of the means allocated to receive the words of these children. There are 6.7 million victims in France, 160,000 children are victims of sexual violence each year, 3% of complaints for rape of a minor result in the conviction of the accused. We ask the question of the fact that children speak and that we must protect them. It is the parents who must be responsible and accountable for the words of their children.
What do you propose ?
We are proposing a plan which must be sustainable, which must really cover all needs. This must be a prevention and public health plan, it must be recurring, it must not be a single campaign. Primary prevention actions are needed to prevent the acts from taking place, and secondary prevention actions to detect the first manifestations both on the part of the sexual aggressors and on the part of the child victims. We also need tertiary prevention actions that make it possible to reduce the consequences and support victims of incest. We must act at the level of adults who must become protectors of these child victims of incest. We must change paradigm, put ourselves on the level of a child and take these revelations into consideration. We hear questions about the presumption of innocence, but what do we do when a child reveals acts of incest and is not immediately protected and has to confront his sexual attacker again?
Does the government’s plan propose progress on this subject?
There are primers. Emmanuelle Béart spoke, there is her documentary (“Un silence si bois”, which is released on September 24 on M6). To mobilize public opinion, this is fundamental. On the other hand, it must be remembered that even today after a complaint is filed, investigations take a long time. There are very few convictions and families filing complaints. Eight out of ten victims do not have parents who protect them when they reveal incest. On the other hand, we have these protective parents who are confronted with a justice system that does not protect them when they want to help children who are victims of incest. Is loving children enough? We must learn to respect and recognize their rights and change our perspective on what children say.
What does it take for things to change?
Professionals need to be supported, but before calling 119, they also need to be trained. Initial and continuing training is required for all professionals who work with children. Doctors must be trained, teachers must be trained, everyone who supports children must be trained to understand the seriousness of these facts. In this campaign, we do not measure the seriousness and impact of sexual violence against children. Today, everyone must be equipped to respond to a child, to someone who has been a victim of incest. There is a lack of responses commensurate with this violence and this trauma which has a lasting impact on the victims.
>> Emmanuelle Béart victim of incest: “This cry must serve to mobilize all adults”, says Charlotte Caubel, Secretary of State for Children