French stars call for crackdown on sexual violence

Some of France's biggest film stars including Juliette Binoche and Emmanuelle Beart on Tuesday called for a comprehensive new law to crack down on "systemic" sexism and gender-based violence in France.

The strongly-worded petition was published in French daily Le Monde as the Cannes Film Festival gets underway with a strong focus on the #MeToo movement in France.

"There are 100 of us, but in reality, there are hundreds of thousands of us", said 147 signatories including actors Anna Mouglalis, Isabelle Adjani, and Judith Godreche. A hundred of them also posed for group photos that accompanied the petition.

They called for a crackdown on sexist and sexual violence, saying it was "systemic, not exceptional."

"Women and men from all walks of life are coming together to call for a comprehensive law against sexual and gender-based violence," they said. "Despite the courage of victims, impunity is on the rise."

The signatories said it was "unacceptable" that the rate of dismissals of complaints of sexual violence "reached a delirious 94 percent in 2022."

The petition called for "a comprehensive law that will clarify, among other things, the definition of rape and consent, introduce the definition of incest, put serial rapists on trial for all known rapes, extend protection orders to rape victims, make it easier to gather evidence, create specialised units and prohibit investigations into victims' sexual histories".

The law must also provide "immediate and free access to psychological trauma care" as well as "financial resources for this public policy and associations that implement it", the petition said.

- 'Consigned to dustbin' -

French cinema has in recent months been rocked by allegations that it has shrugged off sexism and sexual abuse for decades.

Actor Godreche has become a key figure in France's MeToo movement since accusing directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both have denied the allegations.

Early this month French parliament agreed to create a commission of inquiry to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in cinema and other cultural sectors.

But Anne-Cecile Mailfert, head of the Women's Foundation, said there was no political will to solve the problem in earnest.

"Since 2017, not much has actually happened in the fight against sexual violence", she told AFP, referring to the start of the #MeToo movement in France.

"The increase in the number of complaints has gone hand in hand with an increase in the number of cases being dropped, and #Metoo is in the process of being consigned to the dustbin".

Aurore Berge, minister in charge of gender equality, said she  "fully shared" the demands of the signatories regarding the "necessary and resolute fight to eradicate sexual violence".

"I am at the disposal of all the signatories to discuss the levers that need to be mobilised", she said in a statement to AFP.

"We must collectively listen to the victims and hear what they have to say. Society as a whole must feel concerned".

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