According to the last “national study on violent deaths within couples “, 102 women were killed by their spouse, or ex-spouse in 2020. The figure is lower than in 2019 (where 146 femicides were recorded), but the minister underlines that last year was special with “two confinements“.

To read also: Domestic violence: “A violent husband is never a good father”

“45 interventions per hour”

Nonetheless, he continues, “the number of police and gendarmerie interventions for domestic violence remains very high: more than 400,000, or 45 interventions per hour“.”Not a day goes by without the GIGN or the Raid going to free a woman or children taken hostage …“

Gérald Darmanin notes that domestic violence “are becoming the main reason for intervention by police and gendarmes“.

Read also: Feminicides: senior women, the great forgotten

New measures announced

In an attempt to fight against this scourge, the Minister of the Interior announces in particular the priority treatment of complaints for domestic violence, an officer specializing in this violence in each police station and each gendarmerie brigade.

The Minister emphasizes the instruction given to police officers and gendarmes to “a report to the prosecutor“, the objective being that”100% of findings turn into complaints or reports“.

Recruitment of specialized teams

To cope with an increased number of procedures (193,000 last year), Mr. Darmanin promises to promote the recruitment of judicial police officers.

In addition, the minister wishes that in each department, there is “teams specializing in the fight against domestic violence“(family protection brigade in the police zone, family protection house in the gendarmerie zone).

Finally, concerning firearms – a third of feminicides take place by firearm – the Minister wants the file of people implicated for intra-marital violence to be connected to those of owners of weapons and people prohibited from carrying, and that the police consult them “systematically“.