A parliamentary inquiry commission of the National Assembly issued a harsh assessment of how the justice system handles child sexual violence and incest.
The report, consulted by AFP and due to be presented on Thursday, highlights failures at every stage of the penal chain, from investigation to judgment. It notes that in the face of exploding complaints, human resources are largely insufficient, with only 2 000 specialized investigators, and that professionals are inadequately trained.
The rapporteur, PS deputy Christian Baptiste, told AFP that incest is a mass crime requiring a full public policy response. The commission recalls that 160 000 children are victims of sexual violence each year, with 81 % of cases involving a family aggressor.
Among around fifty recommendations, the report calls for decriminalizing non-representation of a child when sexual violence is suspected and for obligatorily considering a child's refusal to see a parent. It also urges a child protection order from the moment of disclosures and requires main investigation acts to be completed within three months.
