On July 12, 2021, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health published a long report on child prostitution in France. It details the profile of the victims, the clients, the mechanisms of prostitution networks, as well as a series of proposals for put in place a national plan to combat child prostitutionwhose official announcements could be made next fall.
There is currently no precise figure for minor prostitutes in France, which will always keep “a black figure”, begins the report. But according to data provided by the voluntary sector, this could be estimated in 7,000 and 10,000, especially in the overseas territories, but also in mainland France. That said, according to the few data available, in particular thanks to the Ministerial Statistical Service for Homeland Security (SSMSI), the number of minor victims of pimping is growing. In 2020, it would be 70% higher than 5 years ago. It reached 4,00 people, compared to 116 in 2016.
In France, it is expressed above all by “pimping in the city” in large cities, and mainly concerns “young girls aged 15 to 17, vulnerablefrom all social backgrounds and who have difficulty realizing their status as victims”. of + 87% in five years.
Raising awareness, educating, training, both children and parents
The report points to the use of digital and social networks which tends to favor and trivialize the intimate display of oneself, via the sending of nudes in particular. He also points out that intimate photos are part of the elements of pre-prostitution and are then used as blackmail with the victims to obtain more.
This observation leads to recall the importance of sex education courses, provided by the school, which allow minors to become aware of all that sexuality entails and to better protect themselves from the dangers. The report suggests that these lessons need to be improved. On the other hand, the report explains the importance of raising parents’ awareness of sex education and the risks of prostitution among minors, while recalling the difficulty of the terrain: “the police services and the prosecutor’s offices note that a a certain number of victims come from ordinary or even favored social backgrounds with parents involved in their educational role”.
Another crucial point of the proposals made by the report: strengthen the training of educational and health professionals, or within establishments such as Childhood Social Assistance (ASE) or the Judicial Protection of Youth, to identify situations of sexual exploitation. In addition to appropriate training with these professionals, more resources are needed for the investigation services, in particular at the ASE.
Signs that can alert
Furthermore, the report explains that several red flags can be identifiedaccording to the work of the association Agir contre la prostitution des enfants (ACPE): “running away, in particular when it is short, a change of dress and lifestyle (use of spare clothes, purchase of clothes or luxury goods…), dropping out of school, possession of several telephones, change in behavior, the presence of signs of physical violence, early pregnancy or a suicide attempt…”
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