Despite the strong mobilization, the figures for violence against women are not decreasing in Reunion. On the occasion of the international day to eliminate this scourge, those involved in the fight discussed the means employed and considered new avenues of work.
Published on November 25, 2024 at 7:14 p.m.,
updated November 25, 2024 at 7:52 p.m.
With a sad second place in the ranking of the most violent departments against women, Reunion is primarily concerned by the international day of the fight against the elimination of this scourge.
21 feminicides recorded since 2015, 14.6 female victims per 1000 inhabitants in 2023, 12 women reporting violence every day on average… Figures that send shivers down your spine despite the numerous means undertaken over the past twenty years.
“We have a comprehensive system on the ground, with a departmental reference officer for the fight against domestic violence, a family protection center and 55 VIF referents in all units” recalls Colonel Christophe Heurtebise, second in command of the Réunion gendarmerie.
Watch the report from Réunion La 1ère:
Violence against women prefect
In the gendarmerie zone, there are 3,500 incidents of domestic violence each year, 76% of which are female victims. “Despite an efficient system, this figure does not decrease and even tends to increase between 2023 and 2024”, underlines the officer.
Also, law enforcement resources will be further strengthened from next year.
“For 2025, 2026 and 2027, there will be three times six gendarmerie investigators specialized in reception, the judicial investigation of cases and orientation towards the specialized systems which will be assigned“, announces prefect Patrice Latron.
Among the new measures in force in Reunion, emergency aid paid to victims to cover immediate expenses when they leave their spouse, or the opening of a reception center for perpetrators of violence.
But there is still much to do. “There are still many women who do not speak. So we need identification, then prevention, support and continuing the fight. Including towards the perpetrators so that it does not happen again” underlines Sylvie Guillery, regional director for women's rights and equality.
At the Region, where a conference on the subject was organized, we also worked on ways to extract women from the process of confinement that accompanies domestic violence. From this point of view, the government's announcement to generalize the possibility of filing a complaint within the hospital is a welcome step forward.
Watch the report from Réunion La 1ère:
Violence against women regional conference
“Victims, if we don’t support them right away, we lose them. They slip through the cracks” recalls Pascaline Roussel, psychologist.
“When the violence occurs, we are in the phase where the person is most receptive to help and we can support them. If we wait too long and they are in the “honeymoon” phase again, she will not be available to accept the help that can be given to her.” specifies the practitioner.
Raise awareness, mobilize and propose progress in favor of victims, why not by reforming the legislative arsenal. This is what Huguette Bello has been advocating for years.
“What we need is for there to be a framework law so that what is written in the Penal Code, in the Public Health Code, in the Civil Code, is grouped together so that we have more means, as Spain did with the Zapatero law” insists the regional president.
But for academic Mario Serviable, violence against women also represents a real “civilization issue.” “This day must first be addressed to men”he emphasizes. “In the living world, man is the only animal that mistreats the female part of the species, the one that affects the future. Killing the one that carries life is the end of the human species.”
Related News :