Teen Suicide Prompts Calls for Stronger Victim Protection in Sexual Assault Cases

In a press release published on Friday, April 18, Ciivise stated that "Yanis’ suicide is a tragedy that signifies the failure of a system to protect victims of sexual violence," and called for changes to the law and strengthened support for victims. Residing in Thyez, Haute-Savoie, this young man of Moroccan origin took his own life after learning that the man who had sexually assaulted him when he was 12 years old had been released. Yanis’ family is in shock. They would have preferred to be informed of the early release of the teenager’s attacker. "I found out by chance, while talking to an acquaintance who had run into him. It was a shock," Farid, Yanis’ father, confided to France 3 Alpes in early April.

"Today, even though many magistrates inform victims of their attacker’s release, it is not yet an obligation. It is up to the victim or their lawyer to request it during the hearing," explains Ciivise. They add: "We need to reverse the process and unify practices across all jurisdictions. [...] Ciivise therefore calls for changes to the law to make it mandatory and systematic to inform victims of sexual violence in case of their attacker’s release." According to current French legislation, only victims of domestic violence are mandatorily informed of the release of their violent spouse.

Ciivise also calls for strengthened support for victims. "In line with the government’s recent commitments to guarantee victims access to specialized care in psychotrauma, Ciivise requests that a timeline, quantified objectives, and dedicated resources be attached to this goal. Supporting victims is a public health objective as much as a justice one," the Commission argues in its note.

For her part, Steffy Alexandrian, founder and president of the Carl association, which supports child victims of sexual and intrafamilial violence, says she "regrets a form of instrumentalization" in Ciivise’s reaction. "We didn’t wait for their statement to alert on the necessity of changing the law, nor to actively work on a proposal, in connection with several parliamentarians," she declared. "In such circumstances, it’s not the time for communication, but for in-depth, discreet but essential work," said the activist, assuring that the Minister Delegate for Children, Youth and Families Sarah El Haïry "is fully mobilized on these issues." She is working towards the passage of a law so that "all minor victims of sexual offenses are systematically notified before their attacker’s release from prison."