Everything, in the unpublished documentary of "Forbidden Zone" devoted to the "new scandal of placed children", scheduled on M6 this Sunday at 9:10 p.m., shocks.
The lightness with which an association studies the file of a (false) foster family, ready to entrust it with a problem teenager without having checked either the identity of the couple or their criminal record.
The distress of this 15-year-old girl, locked up in a dismal hotel, the only window of her room obstructed by a massive wardrobe supposed to prevent her from jumping.
Residents of homes who, here, watch the comings and goings of the cops on behalf of dealers, there, are the prey of pimps.
The surprise of the elected officials, who fall from their chairs when Jean-Charles Doria, director also at the origin of a first investigation broadcast in January 2020, confronts them with the images he shot.
Competence of the departments, which delegate to associations, priority of the government carried by the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister, Charlotte Caubel, the protection of children seems however to be the responsibility of nobody.
Alain and Marie-Christine were victims of Fabien, the child they welcomed into their home.
Despite numerous alerts to the ASE, he ended up attacking their little girl Léa, 2 and a half years old, with incredible rage.
📺 This Sunday at 9:10 p.m. on M6 pic.twitter.com/mCTHlD1dAm
— Zone Interdite (@ZoneInterdite) October 13, 2022
She may recall that hotel placements were abolished by the law of February 2022, Charlotte Caubel struggles to convince.
Invited to the preview organized at the headquarters of La Six, the new Secretary of State in charge of children, who succeeds Adrien Taquet, mentioned "a transitional period of one year from the start of force of this law" and the need to build new homes.
170,000 children placed by Child Welfare
It is up to the departments to find appropriate structures to accommodate the 10,000 young people concerned (this is an estimate) - many of whom are unaccompanied minors.
Problem: “Nobody wants a home next to their home,” notes the former director of the Judicial Protection of Youth, who will announce her action plan on set, after the broadcast of the report.
"When I vomited, she would make me vomit again until I choked."
Placed in a foster family for 4 years, Lina and her little sister were allegedly victims of torture and witnessed rapes.
📺 This Sunday in #ZoneInterdite at 9:10 p.m. on M6 pic.twitter.com/x8WyGGmIxp
— Zone Interdite (@ZoneInterdite) October 14, 2022
In France, as of December 31, 2020, 170,000 children were placed by Childhood Social Assistance (funded to the tune of 8.5 billion euros by the departments), primarily in foster families.
New problem: already insufficient in number, "nearly half will retire within 5 years", recalls the director.
“We are waiting for it to explode,” laments Pauline, a former educator.
“Some children have been flagged for years.
I've seen young girls in so much pain that we couldn't put them together anymore.
We were waiting for them to take action so that the Judicial Protection of Youth took over.
If we had taken care of them 5 years earlier, we could have found a suitable solution”.
Institutionalized abuse
The documentary shows worn-out professionals, who are sometimes just waiting for one thing: to leave.
Most homes operate with reduced staff.
Temporary or not, they make the same observation: “We are in institutional mistreatment”.
As for the central question of checks, the sentence uttered by an association manager sends shivers down the spine: "We could put [the children] in the cellar with chains, the ASE wouldn't know anything about it".
Charlotte Caubel assures that the State will "put its nose back".
And argues the coordination committee, bringing together prefect, prosecutor and president of the Department, imposed in Pas-de-Calais, following the discovery of ten abused children in Noyelles-sous-Lens.
"It's an experiment", explains the Secretary of State, who wants the Departments to retain their competence and their responsibility for control, but also intends to (re) give resources to the prefectures.
"I believe a lot in the territorial community," she insists.
All is not black.
On the sidelines of the preview, Jean-Charles Doria underlines the efforts made by the Côte-d'Or department, pinned in his previous subject.
“We went back there last year, everything had been transformed.
It is not only about repainted walls, but about a real educational project, procedures to follow in case of escape, link with the magistrates.
A kid even said to the undercover journalist:
this home is paradise
.
It means it's possible.
»
If the minister considers for her part that the previous documentary has contributed to lowering the attractiveness of the professions, she recognizes that, thanks to this new report, “France will be interested in the protection of children”.
It's time.
Placed children, in danger?
Forbidden Zone reveals the shortcomings of a system that struggles to protect foster children.
Immersion in the heart of Child Welfare, an alarming reality for thousands of children.
📺 This Sunday at 9:10 p.m. on M6 pic.twitter.com/P8IhCYFgsF
— Zone Interdite (@ZoneInterdite) October 13, 2022
Editor's note:
4/5
"Forbidden zone: foster families, social hotels: the new scandal of foster children", documentary by Jean-Charles Doria (2022) presented by Ophélie Meunier.
(2 hours)