“They have incredible courage”: Aurora Berger with women victims of domestic violence in Chartres

A refuge for women who have often experienced their worst. Aurore Berger, Minister Delegate in charge of equality between women and men and the fight against discrimination, met this Wednesday evening with three victims of domestic violence sheltered by the Bercail association in Chartres (Eure-et-Loire).

As if to reassure them, but above all to support them in their choice, Aurora Berger never ceased to praise the strength that these women show in leaving their family home. “We must appreciate their incredible courage in leaving and speaking out about the violence they suffered,” the minister said. “We ask them a lot: to speak up, to file a complaint, to stand up, to put themselves in order… It’s still quite spectacular when you experience the violence they suffered,” continues the ex-deputy.

“There’s still a lot to be done”

Fatoumata (names have been changed to ensure the anonymity of the victims), the mother of a small child, receives the minister in her room. “I ran after my son because he had nothing to do with this,” said the young mother. “But you too,” Aurora Berger objects. Words that made Berkay’s protégé burst into tears.

In Chartres (Eure-et-Loire), the minister was able to discover an association that “mainly welcomes women who are victims of domestic violence, who need support, listening and accompaniment to escape this violence,” explains Tiphen Delépine, head of the department. For her, “the most important thing was that Aurora Berger met these women, heard their life experiences, and understood that there was still a lot to be done,” the manager notes.

Confronted with local elected officials, law enforcement, prosecutors, medical professionals and associations fighting domestic violence, Aurora Berger heard about initiatives being taken to quickly identify this violence while deploring the “horrible case,” a new feminicide, on Tuesday in Montpellier (Herault) in front of the courthouse. The tragedy, “which is not always predictable,” was justified by government member Attal.

640 police arrests for domestic violence

In Eure-et-Loire, this violence is growing and accounts for “30% of the activity of the prosecutor’s office, or every third arrest by the police,” elaborates Frédéric Chevalier, a prosecutor. “In 2023, there will be 640 people in custody for domestic violence, which is 40% more than three years ago,” the magistrate said. The difficulty for these women is often leaving the house. “On average, a woman makes seven round trips, seven times she leaves and returns to the family home and continues to put her life in danger,” extols Aurora Berger.

To facilitate their departure, the government introduced a general emergency assistance on December 1. “A woman who makes a complaint can be accompanied by two to five days of immediate financial assistance provided by the Family Benefits Fund (Caf), so it is very anonymous, because you are going to go to a cafe for many reasons, and you will not be classified as a victim of violence,” – she reassured her interlocutors.