A banged woman, thrown to the ground, her head smashed by her companion Thursday evening; another, the day before, struck and forced to give fellatio to her drunk husband, rue Ordener (18th century); another MacDonald boulevard (19th century), beaten up because her husband "complained about the quality of household chores", specifies a police source; and again, a dead woman stabbed by a drunken companion in misfortune. Authors of this sinister prize list of the last 48 hours, several men are in police custody.
"We went up a notch"
This Friday, on the 18th day of confinement to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the sequence of domestic violence and arrests still on the increase worried. These tragic situations for the destitute and isolated victims of confinement are also difficult for the police who are on the ground, for the city of Paris, the Public Prosecutor's Office, associations, the Ministry of the Interior who are trying to set up systems to stem the plague.
"We went up a notch," worries Cédric Bienfait, 40, one of ten social workers, stationed at the police station of the 15th arrondissement, attached to the DPSP (Directorate of Prevention, Security and protection), the future municipal police of Anne Hidalgo. "Domestic violence is increased tenfold by three factors: promiscuity 24 hours a day, alcohol and drugs". Cédric Bienfait does not mince his words: "There are women who feel in danger of death, who say to themselves This time I will pass! We fear a spike in feminicides ”.
36% increase in one week
"The containment measures to stem the Covid-19 epidemic resulted in a 36% increase in domestic violence in a single week in Paris and the inner suburbs," insists Hélène Bidard, assistant (PCF) in charge of gender equality of the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. In France, "usually", every two and a half days, a woman dies under the blows of her spouse. There were 149 feminicides in 2019. In Paris and in the inner suburbs, 950 police custody of violent spouses.
In the early hours, this Friday, the police from the Xe police station intervened on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis. When they arrived, the spouse, who stood pitifully at the bottom of the building, explained to them "having had a slight argument" because "the confinement makes them upset." When the police entered the apartment, his partner was crying, his face swollen.
Cédric Bienfait, he welcomes the victims redirected by the police. He tries to find them accommodation, support solutions, helps them to file complaints, to cope with administrative twists and turns.
"The victims do not dare to call"
Today, the social worker is teleworking. "The police at the police station give our victims phone numbers."
"The problem," continues Cédric Bienfait, "is that the victims do not dare to call from her home with their spouse next door. They are convinced that they do not have the right to go out while cases of domestic violence are one of the legitimate reasons. Those who call us for help are those who pretend to go shopping. ”
"On Tuesday, police intervened on a man who had beaten up his wife in front of his children and threatened her with a knife under the throat. One of the police officers said to him. and gives him a certificate to circulate. She took her children under her arm and went to the provinces to take shelter with relatives. ”
Ten dwellings found by the City
On the city side, we are struggling. Hélène Bidard is piloting several devices, one of which had trouble starting up. Ten HLM apartments, whose addresses are kept secret, have been vacated to accommodate women with children in emergency situations. Only problem? Difficult to find volunteers and associations to be on the ground in full coronavirus.
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Finally, the Aurore association, however overwhelmed by health news, found, supported by feminist associations, volunteers to welcome victims in the apartments, give them the keys ... "The ten homes will be allocated from Monday, promises the chosen one. We are going to unlock five more as well as places in accommodation centers and rooms. ”
The city also launched a poster campaign among merchants with all the useful numbers for victims *.
"Women must be able to push the door of the police station, insists Hélène Bidard, that they know that the Paris prosecutor's office which works 24 hours a day can immediately pronounce the eviction of the violent spouse with a protective measure, like the ban on returning to the victim's district ”.
In addition, the elected official promises that the victims housed in these social housing in the coming days will not be let go. "We are committed to finding them social housing after confinement."
* The listening numbers 39 19 (Violences Femmes info), 0 800 059 595 (Viols Femmes Informations), 119 (Enfance en danger), and Police Rescue at 17.
