Several hundred people rallied in Paris on Saturday, November 15, against violence against children and teenagers at the call of 77 organizations, Agence-France-Presse (AFP) said, while similar rallies are planned in other cities in France.
The numbers are “disturbing”Claire Bourdille, founder of Child Collective, reminded AFP: “160,000 children (is) victims of sexual violence every year in France », “a child (East) killed every five days by his parents”There is a “increasing depression among young people, with people as young as 9 committing suicide”…
“There is everything necessary to act for the protection of children. What is lacking is political will, but for there to be political will, there must be a society that supports it, that encourages and demands change.”M’s estimateI Bourdille.
“I have a daughter and I feel very concerned about this. There were some moments of violence in my life as a child that I did not consider violence. I try to be aware of them and avoid repeating them. For me, that comes first and foremost through education”Yazid Zouanat, who came with his family, told AFP.
There are “countless” forms of violence.
Ahead of the International Day of Children’s Rights, which will take place on November 20, demonstrations are being organized in around forty other cities in France (Bordeaux, Toulouse, Strasbourg, etc.) as well as in Brussels, according to the signatories of the call, including Enfance et Partage, the Women’s Foundation, the National Union of Early Childhood Professionals (SNPPE) and Joël Le Scouarnec’s victims’ group.
“Infanticide, incest, child crime, child cybercrime, sexual exploitation, sexual mutilation, conversion therapy, abuse, forced marriage, regular educational violence, family and institutional violence, multiple discrimination… The forms of violence are countless in France and throughout the world”condemn these organizations.
They called for the creation of a ministry for children, continued funding for child protection, child welfare reform and implementation of the 82 recommendations of the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (Ciivise).
The organizations also asked to declare sexual crimes and offenses against minors civilly and criminally unacceptable, to require reporting of sexual crimes and offenses against minors, including for professionals and parents, or to grant victim status to child victims of femicide.
