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WORLD NEWS Saturday 23 November 2019

French women demand action amid high domestic violence rate

By CLAIRE PARKER study found this year.
Associated Press But France is particularly
LES MUREAUX, France (AP) bad, said EU researcher
— Sylvia. Dalila. Aminata. Albin Dearing, who led a
Céline. Julie. Their names study this year that exam-
are plastered on build- ined domestic violence in
ings and headlines across seven European countries,
France, calling attention to including France.
their shared fate: Each was "When it comes to violence
killed, allegedly by a cur- against women, it showed
rent or former partner this actually that police do very
year. More than 130 wom- little to protect women who
en have died from domes- turn to them for protec-
tic violence this year alone tion," he said. It can take
in France, according to ac- between three weeks and
tivists who track the deaths. two months for authori-
European Union studies ties to act on a complaint,
show France has a higher leaving the victim "in a very
rate of domestic violence fragile situation," according
than most of its European to Frederique Martz, who
peers. And frustrated ac- runs anti-domestic violence
tivists have drawn national organization Women Safe.
attention to a problem The Justice Ministry report
President Emmanuel Ma- this month found that 41%
cron has called "France's of "conjugal homicide"
shame." victims studied had previ-
Under cover of night, activ- In this Nov. 8 2019 photo, Sarah stands next to slogan reading "Their hate, our dead" in Paris. ously reported incidents
ists have glued posters with Associated Press of domestic violence, and
the names of the dead and seizing firearms from peo- women across all 28 mem- describe such killings. 80% of complaints sent to
calls to action to French ple suspected of domestic ber states found that 26% In France, victims and ad- prosecutors went uninves-
city walls. "Complaints ig- violence, prioritizing police of French women respon- vocates say government tigated.
nored, women killed," read training and formally rec- dents said they been action is overdue — and "Our system doesn't work
the black block letters on ognizing "psychological abused by a partner since that more training is need- to protect women," Justice
one such sign. They have violence" as a form of do- age 15, either physically or ed for police who are of- Minister Nicole Belloubet
also posted anti-violence mestic violence. sexually. ten ill-prepared to protect told French TV channel LCI
slogans, tagged with Ma- Women are not the only That's below the global av- women in danger. after another French wom-
cron's name. victims of domestic vio- erage of 30%, according to Police inaction made na- an was allegedly killed by
By the hundreds, wom- lence, but French officials UN Women. But it's 4 per- tional headlines in France her husband in Alsace last
en have walked silently say they make up the vast centage points above the after Macron visited a hot- week.
through city streets after majority. EU average and the sixth line call center in Septem- But Maj. Fabienne Boulard
each new death. Lawyers and victims' advo- highest among EU coun- ber and listened in on a call of the national police said
Two years after Macron cates say women are too tries. with a 57-year-old woman many officers respond ap-
made a campaign pledge often disbelieved or turned Half that number reported whose husband had threat- propriately to reports of do-
to tackle the problem, his away by French law en- experiencing such abuse in ened to kill her. He heard a mestic violence. Those who
centrist French government forcement. But they're en- Spain, which implemented police officer on the other don't — the ones who react
has begun to act. couraged by the new na- a series of legal and edu- end tell the woman he "clumsily" or ask the wrong
A Justice Ministry report re- tional conversation, which cational measures in 2004 couldn't help her. questions — usually don't
leased earlier this month they say marks a departure that slashed its domestic The hotline operator told mean harm, she added;
acknowledged authorities' from decades of denial. violence rates. Macron that such respons- they just don't recognize
systematic failure to inter- "In France, we always have Conversations about do- es weren't unusual. domestic violence or know
vene to prevent domestic the impression that we are mestic violence have also Police officers across Eu- how to intervene.
violence slayings. On Mon- perfect," activist Caroline ratcheted up in neighbor- rope often dismiss domes- This is particularly true when
day, the government will de Haas told The Associ- ing Germany, where activ- tic violence as a private women receive threats but
announce measures that ated Press. ists are demanding that the matter and fail to intervene not yet physical blows, vic-
are expected to include A 2014 EU survey of 42,000 term "femicide" be used to at crucial moments, an EU tims say.q