SOCIETY: Improving support for victims of violence | FAXINFO

Thanks to this agreement signed by Sibel Aydin, director of the Maison des Femmes, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hugues Loyez, commander of the Gendarmerie of the Northern Islands, women victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence will be able, if they wish, to file a complaint within the Maison des Femmes: “This is a major step forward for the territory,” says the person who heads the structure inaugurated on July 9. Every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., gendarmes from the Maison de Protection des Familles brigade will be on duty within the Maison des Femmes to collect victims' complaints in a safe and confidential setting. This approach aims to establish a climate of trust to allow victims to express themselves freely, while offering them a reassuring environment. Beyond filing a complaint, the gendarmes can intervene upstream to listen to and advise women in difficulty. The team at the Maison des femmes de Saint-Martin welcomes between 10 and 15 women in distress every day, offering them a free, multidisciplinary care pathway. The main objective of this agreement is to facilitate the filing of a complaint by avoiding the victim having to travel, particularly when their physical or mental state does not allow it. _Vx