On the occasion of the International Day Against Violence Against Women, the Prime Minister announces the experimentation of tests to detect a chemical submission reimbursed by Health Insurance.
- Michel Barnier announces the experimentation of individual kits to “detect a chemical submission” reimbursed “by Health Insurance in several departments”.
- The government is also launching an information campaign on chemical submission and increasing the budget for universal emergency aid.
- He also wants to extend the system allowing women victims of sexual violence to file complaints at hospitals to new health establishments.
As the Mazan rape trial enters its twelfth week of hearing and the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison is required against the main accused, Dominique Pelicot, Michel Barnier will take measures to fight against violence against women , notably chemical submission. As a reminder, this consists of administering to a person, without their knowledge, a psychoactive substance to alter their behavior or consciousness, often in the context of sexual assault or another type of violence, depending on the National Council of the Order of Physicians.
Chemical submission: “experimenting with reimbursement by Health Insurance for individual kits”
This Monday, November 25, on the occasion of the International Day Against Violence Against Women, he announces a new measure, which had already been requested by the council last October. “We are going to experiment with reimbursement by Health Insurance in several departments of individual kits making it possible to detect a chemical submission to improve the care of potential victims”, declared the Prime Minister after speaking with the staff of the women’s house of the AP-HP Hôtel Dieu.
At the same time, the government is also launching an information campaign on chemical submission to raise awareness among the general public and help potential victims. Initiated by the M’endors pas association, co-founded by Caroline Darian, the daughter of the Pelicot couple, it will make it possible to indicate in all pharmacies a telephone number and the address of the Reference Center on attacks facilitated by substances . A listening and support platform will also be created. The latter “can answer, and advise you, and tell you which laboratory to go to, what to do with your hair, blood tests, urine”said Salima Saa, Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men.
Generalize the filing of complaints at hospitals to combat violence against women
Other measures have been revealed. “Because getting through the police station door is difficult,” the executive wants, by the end of the year, to allow victims to file complaints in all French health establishments, “equipped with an emergency service or a gynecological service”, either “377 hospitals in France” out of 1,347 public establishments, according to Salima Saa. “There are 236 agreements that have been signed,” she added on FranceInfo. In practice, the hospital must contact the police station or gendarmerie so that a person can come “to take the complaint”.
“We obtained a 10% increase in the budget devoted to the State Secretariat responsible for Equality between women and men, (…) specifically an increase in universal emergency aid”, revealed the Secretary of State. Implemented at the end of 2023, this aid, including “33,000 women” have benefited, will increase from 13 million euros to 20 million euros in the 2025 finance bill (PLF). This financial assistance, which allows victims to “leave their home” And “cover the first expenses, feed the children, get a room”, is paid by CAF and can range from “300 to 1,400 euros”depending on the number of children.
