After the accusations against emergency physician Patrick Pelloux, the National Federation of Nursing Students calls for “removing this silence that exists in the hospital”.
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“We must take concrete measures” against this sexist and sexual violence in the hospital, said Friday April 12 on franceinfo Pauline Bourdin, president of the National Federation of Nursing Students (Fnesi), after the accusations made by infectious disease specialist Karine Lacombe against the emergency physician Patrick Pelloux from “sexual and moral harassment”. Since then, many caregivers have spoken out to denounce sexual violence within the hospital.
“We have been denouncing this violence at the hospital for several years”, recalls Pauline Bourdin. Fnesi made a “well-being survey” in 2022 by focusing “on the sexual violence aspect”. “This investigation revealed alarming figures”assures the president of the student federation. “It’s very important that we can put actions in place.”
More than one in six students victims during their training
The results of the Fnesi investigation “have been public since 2022”. “Among nursing students, more than one student in six is the victim of sexual assault during their training, 70% of which occur during internship”, explains Pauline Bourdin. She denounces “a very important omerta at the hospital where students are afraid to denounce this violence, as much as mistreatment or harassment”. Because for students, “the bottom line is that it may be their training that is put in danger, with potentially an invalidated internship which will increase the duration of their training”. And more generally, “They are afraid of being excluded from training if they denounce this violence”.
For Pauline Bourdin, beyond the Patrick Pelloux affair “we must succeed in removing this silence that exists in the hospital, free speech and apply a policy of zero tolerance in the face of this violence which is intolerable”. Fnesi calls for “take concrete measures and encourage reporting, particularly anonymous reporting, which allows students to be able to report this violence with complete confidence”.
