France's new sexual violence bill 'fails to tackle root causes', campaigners warn

France's comprehensive bill against sexual and gender-based violence is designed to overhaul the entire response to abuse. Its approach links prevention, investigation, prosecution, and protection instead of treating each stage separately. The proposal was prioritised after the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl exposed failures in earlier investigations.

The National Assembly adopted the bill unanimously on Tuesday. If enacted, it would create specialist police units and require courts to include at least two expert judges and prosecutors in relevant cases. It would also set minimum investigative steps for complaints.

The bill has not yet become law. It is now moving to the French Senate for a vote. Campaigners call it a historic step, but they warn that it does not sufficiently prevent violence or protect some vulnerable victims, including migrant women, disabled women, and LGBTI people.

The bill would change who handles sexual and domestic violence cases and how investigations begin. Specialist police units would be created, while courts would need at least two expert judges and prosecutors. The goal is to make the justice system better suited to the specific patterns of sexual and gender-based violence.

Police would also have to complete a minimum set of investigative actions within a year. These could include interviewing the suspect and relatives, and searching phones or computers. The mechanism is simple: complaints could no longer be dismissed because evidence was not gathered when basic investigative steps were missing.

The proposal also bars police from investigating a victim's sexual history. It recognises economic abuse as domestic violence and broadens incest to include first cousins. Campaigners welcome these changes, but say the bill still needs stronger prevention and fuller protection for vulnerable groups.

The article excerpt does not give a number for required sexuality-education sessions. Under France's education framework, schools are expected to provide three sessions each year. These lessons matter because prevention can address relationships, consent, violence, and social attitudes before abuse occurs.

In practice, schools may struggle to deliver them consistently. Common barriers include limited teacher training, shortages of specialist staff, timetable pressure, and insufficient resources. The result can be a legal requirement that exists on paper but is not provided equally to every student.

This is relevant to the bill's wider criticism. Emmanuelle of #NousToutes said the proposal focuses heavily on criminal penalties and contains few preventive measures. If education is irregular, the bill's response remains centred on what happens after violence, rather than reducing the conditions that allow it to occur.

The bill's reforms depend on staff, training, time, and money. Without proper funding, courts may lack enough expert judges and prosecutors, and police may be unable to maintain specialist units. The promised system could therefore look comprehensive in law while remaining weak in practice.

The article gives a warning sign from the current system. Complaints are often dismissed even when suspects have not been interviewed and phones, computers, or relatives have not been examined. If mandatory investigative steps are unfunded, these failures could continue, leaving cases without evidence and victims without meaningful justice.

Poor funding could also weaken protection and support for vulnerable groups. Campaigners already say disabled women, foreign women, and LGBTI people are overlooked. Passing the bill would be only the first step; sustained resources would be needed to make its procedures reliable and prevent reforms from becoming promises that institutions cannot deliver.

Undocumented migrant women, and women whose residence depends on a partner, can face a second danger when they leave abuse. Their immigration status may be tied to the relationship or to the partner they accuse. Reporting violence can therefore threaten their right to stay, work, and access stability in France.

Cimade describes the mechanism clearly: victims may be forced to choose between staying with an abuser and losing their immigration status. Nearly 70 percent of women assisted at its specialist centres lose their residence permits when they leave an abusive partner because their right to stay is relationship-based.

The proposed bill originally included protection from removal and a two-year residence permit with the right to work. MPs removed those measures after opposition from the right and centre. Without such safeguards, reporting abuse can carry immigration consequences, discouraging complaints and leaving victims trapped with their abusers.

Spain's 2004 law influenced France by showing that gender-based violence could be addressed through a coordinated national system. Rather than separating prevention, police work, prosecutions, and victim support, the Spanish model helped inspire a single framework covering all four areas.

France's proposed bill follows that logic. It would establish specialist police units, require expert judges and prosecutors, and set minimum investigative actions. It also includes measures such as protecting victims from scrutiny of their sexual history and recognising economic abuse as domestic violence. These provisions connect legal enforcement with a broader understanding of abuse.

The influence is important because campaigners view sexual and gender-based violence as requiring a specific justice response. However, French organisations say the proposal still lacks enough prevention and fails to protect some vulnerable groups. Spain provided the structure, but France's implementation and political choices will determine its effectiveness.

Criminal punishment is necessary, but it begins after violence has already occurred. Prevention works earlier by teaching about consent and relationships, challenging attitudes that excuse abuse, and helping people recognise danger. It can reduce harm while also making reporting and support more accessible.

The article highlights the gap. Emmanuelle from #NousToutes says the bill focuses heavily on criminal penalties and contains few measures aimed at preventing violence. Campaigners also point to vulnerable groups who may not receive suitable protection, including disabled women, foreign women, and LGBTI people. Support services are essential when victims need safety, legal help, or immigration advice.

A comprehensive response therefore needs several connected parts. Specialist investigations can improve justice after a report, while education, services, and social change can reduce violence and help victims leave safely. The bill's success will depend on whether France funds and develops those preventive elements alongside punishment.