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Girl found dead in Spain: why do some speak of "vicarious violence"?

2021-06-20T19:54:23.380Z


FOCUS - Used in Spain to designate violence committed by the father on children with the aim of hurting the mother, this term does not have the same meaning in France.


The discovery of the body of 6-year-old Olivia off the island of Tenerife 1000 m deep in a bag and weighted down by a boat anchor left Spain in shock. According to the first elements of the investigation, Olivia and her sister, whose body is still wanted, were killed by their father, Tomas Gimeno. The mother of the girls then speaks of

"vicarious violence"

to define the father's actions. Violence against children which aims to indirectly reach their mother. This term is also used by Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, who rejects this "

doubly savage and inhuman macho violence

". But what exactly does “

vicarious violence

” mean

?

To read also: "Domestic violence is for the child one of the most serious possible abuses"

A “

violence which is exerted on the children to hurt the woman (…), by murdering the sons / daughters, the aggressor ensures that the woman will never recover.

It is an extreme prejudice

”.

This is how Sonia Vaccaro, a Spanish psychologist, defines what she called “

violencia vicaria

” (vicarious violence).

A term taken up and even integrated into the State Pact against gender violence signed in Spain in 2017.

This expression does not seem to exist in the French language.

"

In France, we speak of vicarious trauma, and the clinical meaning of this term does not refer to the same violence as that of which the girls may have been victims in Spain

", explains to

Figaro

Karen Sadlier, doctor in clinical psychology specializing in domestic violence.

The vicarious trauma is felt by "

professionals who hear difficult stories all day long, such as nurses, firefighters, or war reporters and journalists,

" she says.

"Psychically kill the mother"

It is under the name "

infanticides in the context of a couple conflict without any member of the couple being victim

" that the violence inflicted on children to injure a spouse is found in the statistics of the Ministry of the Interior. French. In 2019, 25 minors died in the family sphere, including three dead at the same time as the mother's homicide and 22 killed in the context of a marital conflict without any member of the couple being victim.

"

Killing the children is a way of psychically killing the mother, it is another way of killing her

", deplores Karen Sadlier. And to add: "

This type of act is often committed by people who do not accept the separation, and it is for them a way of saying 'I would not have you so I will make sure that your life is hell and therefore kill the children ', it is the desire to create maximum distress in the other, of guilt

”. In the case of the Spanish girls, Olivia and Anna, the investigation is ongoing, but it is believed that Tomas Gimeno could not put up with the mother of his children being reunited with a spouse after their separation.

If Tomas Gimeno is still wanted, the French psychologist underlines that, in many cases, the one who kills the children then kills himself "

either because he does not support the act he has done, and prefers to kill himself, or because he wants to make the mother even more guilty

”. All the perpetrators of infanticide in the context of a couple conflict in 2019 in France have indeed committed suicide or attempted to do so. The trail is being considered by the Spanish authorities, Tomas having disappeared with the two girls after leaving a farewell note.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-06-20

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