In 2003, Benjamin disappeared while suspended from a knotted rope on an unsecured community playground. His mother, Brigitte Pingret, was surprised to discover hundreds of insecure play areas in France. She almost immediately founded an association, APDEVALP, “to prevent too many Benjamins.” Then she engaged in other areas. Interview.
Nice Première: What does your association do?
Brigitte Pingret: We tour playgrounds across France. We inspect, take photos. Sometimes, we discover places that are completely below safety standards. New playgrounds mostly comply. However, in some located in small municipalities, the situation is catastrophic. Often, they fear that everything might be removed. Sometimes they are forced to do so due to lack of resources. We also volunteer in various cases. I am notably a member of the AFNOR commission for ‘playground equipment’ (French Association for Standardization).
NP: How do you explain this degradation?
BP: Small municipalities tell us they don’t have the funds. They sometimes disregard the decrees, which are very strict on this matter. Our children’s safety is paramount!
NP: What do you do when a playground is non-compliant?
BP: It’s not about opposing the municipalities. We are not troublemakers; after all, it’s a matter of safety. Initially, I send a registered letter to the mayor, with acknowledgment of receipt, to keep a record of our request for compliance. If nothing is done, a second letter follows. Then, I involve the DDCCRF (Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control).
NP: Are you in contact with other associations?
BP: Yes, we are in touch with various associations fighting in the field of childhood, but we are the only association fighting at this level in France, and visible on the internet. We are even starting to receive emails from the United States, Canada, Luxembourg… children’s safety is a major concern to them.
NP: Besides your family tragedy, why create such an association?
BP: Often, parents do not feel concerned. They think, it only happens to others. I thought that too…
NP: At the legislative level, are there things to improve?
BP: Yes, for example, concerning invisible illnesses, choking games, the internet. But it would already be good to maintain what exists. France addressed the problem of safety rather late, through two decrees in 1994 and 1996 concerning playground safety. And yet, there are still places in France that disregard the standards.
NP: How do you find the right balance between protecting and overprotecting?
BP: It’s delicate. I think the normal taking of risks is positive for a child’s development.
NP: Are children safe in a private swimming pool?
BP: I think the new law should improve things. However, children should not be left alone just because the pool is secured.
NP: Are parents resigning their responsibilities?
BP: Parents are increasingly stepping back and delegating. That’s good, they want to empower their children, but one must not forget to be a parent. I think parents should supervise, without necessarily forbidding everything. Vigilance is crucial.
NP: We often hear about violence in schools. Should we believe that children are more violent than in the past?
BP: There is a lot of media attention on delinquency. But I think today’s violence is simply different. It’s getting harder to predict children. Parents let things slide. It’s also the fault of video games, the Internet. Some children spend entire nights on the web. As a result, they no longer know how to distinguish between the virtual and the real world. They invent an imaginary character, sometimes violent, and some can no longer adjust once in the real world.
NP: Do children never lie?
BP: I believe a child who has suffered sexual violence cannot invent it. At Outreau, they were preteens. At 7-8 years, the terms and phrases used by these children show that they have experienced something or witnessed something.
NP: How to explain the increase in domestic violence directed against children?
BP: I think this phenomenon has always existed. Simply, the media have amplified it. But this type of violence, I can’t accept it, as a mom who lost a child.
For more information:
APDEVALP
www.apdevalp.com
