Cases of sexual abuse on the rise in France
People march as a protest against the further victimisation of sexual abuse victims, by saying the victim deserved abuse because of what they were wearing, or the way they were behaving. Photo AFP, Anne-Christine Poujoulat
Western Europe
The number of recorded instances of sexual abuse increased by 24 per cent in 2021. That is shown by new government statistics published on Wednesday by feminist organisations. At the same time, they notice that many of the cases are ignored by the authorities.
In total, the police recorded 71,835 cases of sexual crimes last year. These numbers do not yet include offences within families, such as incest. Compared to 2020, that is an increase of 24.1 per cent. That is shown by statistics from the Ministry of Interior Affairs, which were published by feminist associations, Le Figaro reports.
In 2019 and 2020, the years of the Covid crisis, the number of cases of sexual violence remained stable. However, in 2021, the curve showed again a substantial increase, a trend that had started in 2017. The cases of sexual violence were mainly physical (73 per cent), such as rape or attempted rape and sexual assault. Most victims (86 per cent) were women, and more than half (55 per cent) of the victims were younger than 18.
At the same time, the Ministry of Interior Affairs adds a footnote to the numbers. It emphasises that the large majority of victims of sexual violence never file a claim. Thus, the number of reports is likely only the tip of the iceberg.
The feminist organisations point out that this increase may result from greater public awareness on this subject. They refer to the MeToo movement as one of the explanations for this awareness. "Violence against women has always been omnipresent", Fabienne El-Khoury, spokeswoman for Dare to Feminism, says, as reported by Le Figaro. "It is women's awareness that has increased. They now know what assault is and that they can file a complaint if a man touches them."
Even though the organisations are happy with the increased awareness, they worry about one major problem: the authorities' response to the claims. Sophie Barre, from the feminist organisation #NousToutes, says that most complaints are closed without further action. Therefore, the associations plead for creating a justice body specialising in sexism and sexual violence. The government is considering this option and will present its findings in March.
In 2021, 48,294 people were convicted of sexual crimes. Most of them were men (96 per cent), and 73 per cent of them were older than 18 years.
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