The deputies approved Monday evening February 8 a series of measures to prohibit the certificates of virginity and to harden the fight against polygamy during the examination of the bill against separatism.
The National Assembly thus adopted almost unanimously the controversial article 16 aimed at prohibiting health professionals from establishing virginity certificates with a prison sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros. .
Read also: Virginity certificates soon banned
If the measure is approved by the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians, voices in the medical community have been raised to denounce a counterproductive ban and a practice that would only concern very rare cases.
The very principle of these
"barbaric practices"
according to the Minister in charge of Citizenship Marlène Schiappa, was rejected by all the groups but LR, LFI or the Communist deputy Elsa Faucillon questioned the final effectiveness of a measure aimed at medical staff.
Eric Coquerel (LFI) particularly regretted the lack of impact study to measure the real importance of such a practice, Marlène Schiappa deploring in return
"invisible violence"
.
"120,000 young girls excised in France"
Several elected officials on the right pleaded for those in the family circle to encourage or pressure to obtain such certificates to be punished.
This provision was introduced during the examination of the text in the special committee and will be debated on Tuesday.
Against the opinion of the majority, the deputies adopted an amendment by the deputy Modem Perrine Goulet aiming to penalize the practices that the elected representative attributed to certain Gypsy traditions (handkerchief ceremony) or to certain religious communities (white cloth) which claim to demonstrate the virginity of the bride before marriage.
Read also: Doctors unarmed in the face of requests for hymen repair
During the evening, the National Assembly unanimously adopted article 14 which modifies the law of foreigners and asylum to introduce a general reserve of polygamy for the issuance of all residence permits.
However, the deputies modified this article by adopting an amendment by the rapporteurs Florent Boudié and Nicole Dubré-Chirat so that the prefect takes into account the situation of the wife (s) victims of polygamy when examining the right of residence.
This provision complements a provision introduced by the Communist Marie-George Buffet during the special commission.
This provides that a foreign woman who is a victim of polygamy can have her residence permit renewed automatically.
According to Marlène Schiappa,
“30,000 adults”
are concerned in France by polygamy, without specifying whether this only concerns wives.
Quoting a study without revealing the title, Marlène Schiappa also affirmed that the authorities estimated at
"120,000 the number of young girls who live excised in France"
.