“I find the initiative brilliant. They do well to communicate about this increasingly common violence, ”notes Clotilde, 36, lawyer. A statement shared by the central commissioner of the 10th arrondissement of Paris, Hugo Arer. “Every day, we receive many female victims on their way to work. »
Friday evening, on the forecourt of the Gare du Nord, a village to raise awareness of street harassment and sexist insults was deployed. The commissioner, on the initiative, wanted to bring together all the players in a position to intervene on these issues. National and municipal police, SNCF…
The layout has been carefully thought out. “We are facing the first station in Europe, 700,000 passengers per day. There are bound to be potential aggressors and female victims. The idea is to provide real support, and to let women know that they are listened to and taken into consideration,” insists Hugo Arer.
Mission accomplished. Clotilde won’t hesitate any longer. “SNCF security gave us a card with a number that is not known at all, which we can call, 3117, to report attacks. I will do it. The alert methods are extremely easy. »
She, who has already been whistled and stared at several times, thinks this awareness village can change things. “It will deter a number of people who will know that women are informed. »
Training, “safe places” and an application
The presence of the municipal police, the national one, the town hall of the 10th arrondissement and the SNFC makes it possible to expose all the initiatives to protect victims, women but also queer people.
At 3117, a number open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, anyone, victim or witness, can reach an SNCF security officer and report a sexist or sexual attack. Depending on the location, availability and seriousness, the gendarmerie, the police or the SNCF security agents are dispatched to the scene.
The latter are trained by psychologists to take care of the victims. This is also the case of traders who have undertaken to be “safe places”, refuges for the victims. These places are indicated on the UMAY application, managed by the police headquarters. It is also possible to report attacks there, the places will be recorded and mapped.
“Can we sue for that? »
Faced with a police officer who gives her documentation on street harassment, Leia, 19, is surprised. ” A You’re charming, It’s boring, but can we file a complaint for that? ” Yes. Each actor strives to explain what constitutes a sexist outrage, a sexual or sexist attack. Leia, who has just been arrested, “probably because I am in shorts”, explains that the initiative appealed to her. But she won’t take the leap. “I’m afraid it won’t come to anything. »
For the town hall, this thought must be changed. Philomène Juillet, borough councilor for prevention, security and the municipal police, notes that “from the moment the police are trained to characterize attacks, they verbalize. »
For her, the purpose of these joint operations is to inform and raise awareness in order to reduce “daily sexist and sexual violence too often qualified as ordinary”. These operations will continue “as long as it is deemed necessary” to “rebuild the public space in a more peaceful and freer way”. For everyone.
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