The figures vary depending on the sources but it is clear that very few victims of sexual violence file complaints. For fear of being judged and not being heard, for shame, for fear of reprisals or not to relive the attack. To make it easier to file a complaint, a system already allows women to do so in hospitals with an emergency or gynecological department.
Invited this Monday morning from FranceinfoSalima Saa, Secretary of State in charge of Equality between women and men, announced that this system would be extended to 377 structures by the end of 2025. “For all hospitals which are equipped with a emergency department and a gynecological department, inside this hospital, in fact, a woman who travels there will be able to file a complaint,” explained the Secretary of State. The hospital will then have to contact the police station or the gendarmerie so that someone can come “to take the complaint”.
The importance of collecting evidence
This measure must be officially announced by Prime Minister Michel Barnier this Monday afternoon during a visit to the Maison des femmes at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris. Salima Saa also insisted on the importance of collecting evidence of sexual violence, which “is absolutely key in establishing the crime of rape”.
She took the example of the Parisian hospital which can keep evidence for three years. “The file that must be put together is the most important for the complaint to go to the end,” explained Salima Saa. And “for the judicial machine to be put in place, a complaint must be filed,” she continued, emphasizing the training effort in this area when welcoming victims.
