CASE. Domestic violence in Le Havre: in the face of complaints, the utopia of a requirement for speed

Au Havre (Seine-Maritime) as in the rest of France, the domestic violence have been taken more seriously in recent years. Those who fight them have seen it from within. the VIF center (Intra-family violence) As of May 3, 2022, there were 197 files in progress. Political demands for speed of processing are high and at the same time the number of complaints is increasing. Is it compatible? Elements of answers with the professionals who fight against this scourge on a daily basis.

“It has been put aside for a long time”

Contrary to what many may think, there is no Le Havre specificity, in terms of domestic violence, compared to the rest of France. Nor is there any social class or neighborhood particularly affected by this scourge. “It affects all socio-professional categories, from the unemployed to the business executive”, assures Commander Stéphane Nouvet, head of the GAJ (Legal Support Group) cyclical at the Havre. However, for Karen Marre, head of the personal injury unit, “in more affluent circles, we keep quiet”.

However, whether at the police station or at the court in Le Havre, there has been a marked increase in complaints filed for domestic violence in recent years. It’s not that there are so many more cases, but rather that tongues are loosening.

I am not convinced today that there is a real increase in domestic violence. What is certain is that we have more important detection mechanisms, we have more reports, more effective responses, there are many more information circuits… We can have the feeling that there has more domestic violence because it is more spotted. Maybe a few years ago, we didn’t know that there had been a spousal homicide in Albi. Now, it is much better known and it is relayed by feminist movements, associations,

“I noticed that over the years, it took on more and more importance, that we put intra-family violence more prominently, with more means, more possibilities, It was set aside for a long time”, supports Aouatif Zimmermann, responsible for intra-family violence.

Even the psychiatrist Marie Bur notes “an awareness”, through the number of perpetrators of domestic violence that she receives in her office. According to her, this “revolution” dates from the Grenelle of Marlène Schiappa, in 2019.

“Femicide, it’s quite reductive”

The media coverage of the cases led to a more sustained reaction from the authorities. “I think that the politicians also wanted to take the problem head on because indeed, it is not normal for a woman to perish under the blows of her husband or for her to receive them”, continues Commander Marre. , specifying despite everything that “it happens that it is men who take it, even if it remains a minority”.

Moreover, she does not use the term “feminicide”. She prefers “homicide”, because she considers that it concerns “the human race”. “Besides, it’s not a legal term. The etymological root of the word homicide is not on men, but on men in the broad sense. It’s quite reductive, because if we only talk about feminicide, we forget all the men who are victims of domestic violence. But in the end, as Commander Marre concludes, “whatever the term, the situation is always dramatic. »

The utopia of real-time processing

At the political level, the subject has therefore risen to the fore. The latest demonstration dates back to May 4, 2021, when Chahinez Boutaa was burned by her husband in the middle of the street Mérignacin the suburbs of Bordeaux. All the VIF centers in France have had to clear their “portfolio”, ie their files in progress. In Le Havre, the case Johanna Tillythis 27-year-old young woman who was assassinated with 14 stab wounds by her ex-spouse in September 2019, had also had the effect of a tsunami.

“Political will means processing in real time, so that there are no more procedures in stock. We too would like to, but it’s impossible”, regrets Major Lemeur, deputy to Commander Marre. Thanks to reinforcements from other units, the VIF (Intra-family violence) center in Le Havre ended last year with a portfolio not exceeding 2021. As of May 3, 2022, it had 197 files. Despite this hard work, “it is not satisfactory, for Commander Marre, because it is human and we would like to be able to provide a much faster response to these people”.

New tools, new measures

At the Public Prosecutor’s Office, “we defer more than before, there is zero tolerance, there are more and more tools to protect victims”, adds Marine Joyaut, making particular reference to the grave danger telephone (TGD) or the anti-reconciliation bracelet (BAR), which we will talk about in another episode. Also, since July 2020, even boyfriends or couples who do not live together fall within the scope of domestic violence. The fact of being a cohabitant even represents an aggravating circumstance for the perpetrator.

“In four years of presence here, things have changed a lot,” concludes Commander Marre. Many things have been put in place in favor of the care of victims and the recognition of this status. »

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