The young association from Nice is organizing a gathering day this Sunday, November 19, at Place Masséna to voice their anger and distress over the daily mistreatments faced by children.
The association “Les Petits Invincibles” invites everyone to gather this Sunday to make the International Children’s Rights Day meaningful. From 11 AM to 5 PM, the association will be present at Place Masséna, on the green flow side, with activities for both adults and children.
On the agenda: parent café, prevention and awareness workshop, bubble games, painting, beadwork, and face painting workshops. Children are invited to come dressed as superheroes and adults to wear a white or yellow top.
The purpose of this event is to organize a festive day full of messages. “Child protection must become a civic duty. We want to raise awareness about the everyday child abuse,” says Anne-Cécile Collet, president of the association and herself a victim of abuse during her childhood.
Born from a student commitment by people in psychology and law in March 2023, the association today has about twenty volunteers. Les Petits Invincibles fights daily to protect children and adolescents from all forms of abuse, whether psychological, physical, or sexual.
Every year, about 160,000 children are sexually assaulted, often by a family member, according to the Ciivise report, which is one in ten children. Additionally, a child dies every five days in their family environment due to these sexual violences.
For better care of abused children
Anne-Cécile Collet is truly passionate about discussing this still too taboo subject to “go further.” She advocates for training in gathering children’s testimonies and detecting signs of abuse for teachers in schools or sports clubs.
She uses her voice to also call for better care of the abused child in their care journey. “A child must be taken care of very quickly, and yet, they are not followed up enough; there are too long waiting lists, they go from professional to professional, and that’s not possible. We can’t tell a child to speak up and then abandon them,” she laments.
She also denounces a real “justice problem”, mentioning that over 73% of cases of sexual assault on minors referred to justice are closed without action, according to a 2018 Senate report. “The child’s word is not taken seriously,” regrets the president of Les Petits Invincibles.
The association then assists in the handling of psycho-trauma sessions for child victims by committing to cover the costs of the follow-up “because often the parents do not have resources and it is not necessarily covered.”
In addition to partner health professionals, the association has access to a network of lawyers who provide legal advice and are committed to supporting the protective parent in their efforts which constitute “an obstacle course.”
For more information about the association, to become a member, sponsor a child, or register for the Sunday, November 19 event, visit this site.
