Aliya, 4, died from the beatings of her stepfather in her bathroom.
The wall that separated his daily hell from that of his neighbor was only 22 cm.
Yet no one on the other side of the wall helped her.
Same tragic end for Dylan, 4 years old, beaten to death in his bedroom or for Nicolas, who died in his living room after having suffered multiple beatings and abuse ...
In France, a child dies every five days as a result of domestic violence.
To alert as many people as possible, the Innocence en Danger association led a shock campaign on Place de la République this Thursday in Paris.
By erecting three walls in the center of the square which recall the ordeal suffered by Aliya, Dylan and Nicolas, the association wanted to materialize “what can separate us from the worst”.
Aim of the operation: to encourage each citizen to have the reflex to report violence against children, violence which unfortunately exploded during confinement.
In March, 119 had received 20% more calls.
Calls considered urgent had even increased by 60%.
However, the reports remain insufficient.
Almost 60% of people suspecting child abuse do not take action.
The role of the neighborhood
“Every time there are homicides, we realize that most of the time, the neighbors were aware, that they had heard screams.
But that no one had dared to intervene, ”says Gilles Lazini, doctor in Seine-Saint-Denis and coordinator of campaigns against violence against minors.
“We can't hide behind a doubt, it's too serious.
When there is a fire, we call 18. So when we witness violence, when we hear the crying and cries of a child, we must call 119, insists Barbara Arbib, communications officer at Innocence in danger ”.
The 119, telephone line of the “Hello childhood in danger” service remains free and anonymous.
It is open every day, 24 hours a day.
Violence against children, carried out eight times out of ten in a family setting, is the first risk factor for attempted suicide, addictions among young people and dropping out of school.