France sees surge in domestic violence as cases double since 2016
A French government report released on Friday shows that security forces recorded some 271,000 victims of domestic violence in 2023, with women making up the vast majority of cases. This figure marks a doubling of reported incidents since 2016.
The annual report by the Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI) indicates a 10 percent increase in recorded cases from 2022 to 2023. The rise is partly attributed to more open reporting by the press and improved reception conditions for victims.
Women account for 85 percent of victims, while men are the alleged perpetrators in 86 percent of cases, with most of them being French nationals.
“This doubling since 2016 shows that more and more women are taking the step of filing a complaint, which is excellent news,” said Anne-Cécile Mailfert, president of the Women's Foundation.
“Now the budgets have to keep up ... we need extra resources to support, investigate, hear, judge and above all support the victims who, from the moment they file a complaint, put themselves in danger.”
Mailfert highlighted the risk of reprisals from partners or ex-partners.
Physical attacks and homicides
The Interior Ministry reports that two-thirds of domestic violence cases involve physical assault.
Verbal or psychological violence, including harassment, threats, privacy invasion and defamation, accounts for 32 percent of cases.
Read more on RFI English
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