In May 2021, a terrible femicide shook France: that of Chahinez Daboud, a 31-year-old mother, burned alive in front of her home in Mérignac (Gironde) by her ex-spouse. However, she had warned of the ordeal she endured on a daily basis and her fears of retaliation, and she had made a complaint to the police.
However, two months after his death, we learned that such a tragedy had occurred due to multiple failures in the judicial chain. Starting with the one concerning the policeman who had taken charge of his complaint and who was himself the subject of a conviction for violence against his ex-partner.
How can you impartially handle a domestic violence report and provide the victim with the necessary protection when you yourself have been convicted of similar acts?
This story, and the questions it raises, were the starting point for the work of Sophie Boutboul and Ilioné Schultz. As France 2 mobilizes this week to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the two journalists have dedicated a documentary to the phenomenon of domestic violence within the police. It will air this Thursday 23 November in Complementary Investigations.
Intimidation and esprit de corps
Because domestic violence within the police and gendarmerie is far from marginal. According to data that Sophie Boutboul and Illioné Schultz managed to obtain from the Ministry of the Interior, 470 police officers and 430 gendarmes have been implicated in cases of domestic violence from 2021 to today. “We really can’t know if the ministry’s figures are exhaustive, explains to SHE Sophie Bouboul. When these police officers and gendarmes remain on duty, they remain in contact with the victims. We wanted to show the impact this could have on society. »
After the femicide of Chahinez Daoud, Gérald Darmanin announced that any police officer or gendarme convicted of domestic violence should no longer have contact with the public. The documentary shows, however, that this instruction is far from being implemented. Worse still: journalists have shown that some officers in charge of brigades specializing in domestic violence are also implicated in similar cases.
Sophie Boutboule and Illioné Schultz went to confront them and also gave voice to former companions of violent police officers or gendarmes. Like Anaïs, who lives in fear of her ex-boyfriend, a civil servant in a dog brigade, and who uses the means at his disposal in the professional context to monitor and threaten her.
“In the speech of these police officers and gendarmes we find a form of intimidation linked to the use of their position. All the women we met reported comments such as: ‘I’m the cop, I’m the law!’ Or, “It’s your word against mine.” These comments dissuade people from filing a complaint because they highlight their network. Even if their power isn’t real, it’s terrifying.”analyzes Ilioné Schultz.
While Anaïs’ ex-boyfriend has since been sentenced to 8 months in suspended prison for beating and threatening her with his service weapon, the documentary highlights the esprit de corps enjoyed by violent men in uniform. Protected by their peers and sometimes even by their superiors, public officials and gendarmes who commit domestic violence take advantage of silence and enjoy impunity at the expense of their victims’ words.
“ Domestic violence: when the aggressor wears the uniform », a documentary by Sophie Boutboul, Ilioné Schultz and Thomas Lhoste, broadcast on Thursday 23 November at 11pm on France 2.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, or if you simply want to learn more about the topic:
- 3919 and the government website Let’s stop THE violence
- Our practical article My boyfriend hit me: how to react, what to do when you are a victim of violence in your relationship?
- The association Forward and its help chat available on How do we love each other?
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
