Guadeloupe is faced with recurring intra-family violence, both physical and psychological. A violence which occurs in many Guadeloupean families and which sometimes begins with incest. The Amalgame humanis association is one of the associations which focuses on this question which still remains taboo. Yesterday, Thursday January 16, a professional seminar was organized to talk about it and take stock with the support of the study by the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence against Children (Civise).
We read the letter from a 12-year-old child who said that for 6 years, her father had been raping her. Not only does he abuse her but he also makes contact with other men…
Viviane Melyon Defrance, president of the Amalgame Humanis association
Viviane Melyon Defrance is the president of the Amalgame Humanis association, at the origin of this meeting between professionals and this story is that of a 12 year old child who writes to her mother, telling her that she never wanted hear and understand what she was saying to him.
The reality is that this problem is difficult for victims to denounce, because it is not without consequences on the family.
If incest destroys a person, incest destroys a family. The child finds himself denouncing a fault which affects the whole family. And often, silence wants us to intimate this silence. We minimize his words.
Viviane Melyon Defrance, president of the Amalgame Humanis association
A taboo and a destructive silence.
It's really the law of silence and that's why he has a lot of guilt because we tell the child not to speak and when he finds himself at 17 or older wanting to denounce, it's He is the author, he is the bad one.
Viviane Melyon Defrance, president of the Amalgame Humanis association
The phenomenon mainly concerns women. Acts carried out most often by the parents, siblings, extended families or close entourage of the victims. Taking into account the words of these victims is essential for the public prosecutor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Caroline Calbo, pOur incest is a silent drama that those affected have great difficulty denouncing.
-We must say that we believe them, that we will try to demonstrate certain elements, but above all, the victims must not bear the weight of guilt, this silence and this suffering.
Caroline Calbo, public prosecutor of Pointe-à-Pitre
And faced with this phenomenon which seems to be omnipresent in Guadeloupean families, prevention remains essential.
We must free our speech, we must speak. And also know who to call, who to talk to and how to support someone who is being abused. In this way, everything will perhaps not stop but we will scare some people who will stop.
Viviane Melyon Defrance, president of the Amalgame Humanis association
With a rate of 55.4%, women are the most affected by this incestuous violence. In our territory, this phenomenon often occurs before the age of 8, and in 81% of cases, the aggressor is found within the family. He may be a close friend or relative. Moreover, a study by the Virage institute states that 45% of incestuous acts are committed by the victims' uncles.
And this violence leads to psychological and psychological disorders among victims as well as other traumatic effects, leading to a high risk of suicide attempts.
It is difficult to quantify the number of cases recorded in the archipelago because in most incestuous cases, the attackers impose silence on their victims to guarantee their impunity and put them under real control.
A behavior which discourages those concerned from denouncing their tormentors, even if the number of cases handled by the courts which concern cases of incest is increasing.
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