Sexual violence against minors in Nice: The Little Invincibles speak out

In the 06 department, it sometimes takes a year of waiting for abused children to receive care. Faced with the failings of a judicial system at its breaking point, the Nice-based association Les Petits Invincibles is trying to fill the gaps. Born in March 2023 from the initiative of Anne-Cécile Collet, it today supports around twenty families, without subsidies, without premises, without employees.

A department under tension

According to the CIIVISE (Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children), 160,000 children are victims of sexual violence each year in France. Scaled to the Alpes-Maritimes department, this represents nearly 2,500 children affected each year. Figures that are difficult for structures to absorb, particularly because resources are not keeping up.

Indeed, as Christel Fievet, vice-president of the association Les Petits Invincibles points out, child-friendly interview rooms, known as “Mélanie rooms”, remain rare: one in Cagnes-sur-Mer, another at the Nice police station. Pediatric Reception Units for Children in Danger (UAPED) in Lenval and Grasse exist, but suffer from a lack of coordination between teams.

As a result, children wait weeks to be interviewed, due to a lack of available rooms or specially trained officers. “You cannot interview more children in a day in the room, and the trained officer is not available”, summarizes Christel Fievet.

A justice system in crisis struggling to act

The problem goes deeper. Filing a complaint can sometimes be an ordeal. “We had mothers who were in the car with their child, the child had just spoken, in panic […] They went around police stations on a Sunday, one was closed, the other couldn’t see them like that. It’s extremely stressful for everyone, and especially for the child“, recounts the association’s vice-president.

When the complaint is finally filed, it’s often silence that follows. “They write to the prosecutor many times and the letters remain unanswered.” And on some cases, expert assessments contradict each other: “We had an expert who said basically everything was fine […], and others who said the situation was concerning.”

Because gathering the account of a three or four-year-old child, whose memory works in emotional fragments, makes evidence almost impossible to establish. “The child struggles to say exactly where it happened, with whom, how, what day, it’s impossible”, insists Christel Fievet.

Without forensic evidence, without coherent testimony, most cases are indeed closed without further action. “There can be ten reports from doctors, teachers, parents. And despite a real situation, […] there is no conviction. Civil justice, without criminal proceedings, is like nothing.”

Filling systemic gaps: the action of Les Petits Invincibles

It is in this void that the association steps in. Psychological support, assistance with legal procedures, preparation for hearings, presence at night when anxiety rises.

But Christel Fievet wants to clarify what “supporting” means: “be careful, it’s not us who follow them psychologically, it’s not us who are their lawyers. We support them so they understand everything that’s happening.”

Because the problem is precisely that: when a child reveals sexual violence, there are many people involved. And the message must get through. “Everyone must understand exactly the situation, even if it’s just one link in the chain.”

The profiles supported are varied, but a common thread emerges: the youngest are often three to six years old, the age of so-called “incidental” disclosures, when the child unknowingly recreates what they experienced. “The child doesn’t know it’s serious. By trying to recreate it, it alerts a protective adult.”

Then comes a long period of silence, in primary school, after an ignored report or an abandoned procedure, many no longer dare to speak.

Then in middle or high school, it often comes out via Instagram. “They want it to come out, but they don’t have the strength to do it.” The association sometimes makes the reports on their behalf.

Believe, protect, and above all stop turning a blind eye

Christel Fievet’s message is simple: believe and protect. And apply the precautionary principle everywhere. “So, from the moment there is a concern, precautionary principle, we don’t hire people who have been of concern. Never, never, never, never.”

Since the Lyhanna case, a meeting with the prosecutor finally took place, a first. While waiting for real change, the association also carries EVAR programs in schools, education on affective and relational life for primary students and education on affective, relational and sexual life for middle and high school students.

Consent, respect for the body, combating sexist violence, and prevention are then essential.