The Missions of the Anti-Violence Unit (CLV)
The primary mission of the Anti-Violence Unit is to prevent, raise awareness, and provide training on issues related to violence (discrimination, sexist and sexual violence, moral harassment). Its secondary mission is to listen to, support, guide, and assist members of the university community (students and staff) who are victims or witnesses of such violence. As part of this second mission, the Anti-Sexist and Sexual Violence Unit receives and records reports and, if necessary, forwards them to the University Presidency for further action (internal investigation, precautionary measures, disciplinary action).
The members of the Unit’s support system are bound by professional confidentiality and guarantee the anonymity of victims. They are committed to respecting the rules of confidentiality, professional secrecy, discretion, and impartiality.
How to report violenceAny member of the university community who is a victim or direct witness of violence may contact the Anti-Violence Unit’s support system via the email address stopviolence@univ-orleans.fr. The system, through the Equality Officer and the Head of the Health and Safety Department, acknowledges receipt of the request. An appointment is then offered to listen and gather the information necessary to assess the situation. The support system also directs victims toward appropriate medical, social, psychological, and legal assistance. Where applicable, the Anti-Violence Unit forwards the information to the President of the University for further action (internal investigation, precautionary measures, disciplinary measures). |
Sexist Violence
The n°2018-703 Law of August 3, 2018 further combating sexist and sexual violence defines offensive sexist behaviour as "sexual or sexist comments or behaviours imposed to someone either prejudicing their dignity due to their degrading or humiliating nature, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive situation". In this way the definition is similar to that of sexual harassment, but without the condition that the behaviour be of a repetitive nature, and so one comment or behaviour can be an offence.
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault can be defined as "any sexual act committed with violence, coercion, threat, or surprise" (see Penal code, art. 222-22).
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can be defined as "repeated sexual or sexist comments or behaviours imposed to someone either prejudicing their dignity due to their degrading or humiliating nature, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive situation. Any use of severe coercion, even not repeated, with the real or apparent goal of obtaining a sexual act, whether sought for the perpetrator or for another, shall be treated as sexual harassment" (see Penal code, art. 222-33).
The victim's rejection does not need to be explicitly stated, but can "appear from the context in which the offence was committed, evidence leading the judge to consider an objective lack of consent" (circular of August 7, 2012 submitted with the law regarding sexual harassment).
To be considered sexual harassment, the behaviours must either prejudice the dignity of the victim ("openly sexist, bawdy, obscene comments or behaviours"), or create a situation in which "life, work, or housing conditions are unbearable" (circular of August 7, 2012 submitted with the law regarding sexual harassment).
In the case of repeated actions, "the condition for repeated acts (...) simply requires at least two instances" (circular of August 7, 2012 submitted with the law regarding sexual harassment). It is also considered sexual harassment to pressure someone, even only once, with the real or supposed aim of obtaining sexual acts, in exchange for employment, a promotion, maintaining benefits or on the contrary to avoid sanctions. This is commonly called "sexual blackmail".
Discriminations
According to article 225-1 of the Penal code, a discrimination is a distinction made between physical persons based on their origin, their gender, their familial situation, their pregnancy, their physical appearance, the particular vulnerability resulting from their economic situation, apparent or known to the perpetrator, their surname, their place of residence, their health state, their loss of autonomy, their disability, their genetical characteristics, their customs, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their age, their political opinions, their union activities, their ability to express themselves in another language than French, their actual or supposed membership or non-membership of a particular ethnic group, nation, alleged race or religion.
Psychological harassment
According to article 222-33-2-2 of the Penal code, bullying a person with repeated comments or behaviour with the aim or effect of degrading their living conditions by altering their physical or mental health is punishable by one year's imprisonment and a fine of €15,000 when these acts have caused a total incapacity for work of less than or equal to eight days, or have not resulted in any incapacity for work.
The offence is also characterized:
- When these comments or behaviours are imposed on the same victim be several perpetrators, in a concerted manner or at the instigation of one of them, even though each of these persons has not acted repeatedly;
- When these comments or behaviours are imposed on the same victim, successively, by several persons who, even in the absence of consultation, know that these words or behaviours characterise a repetition.
Ragging
According to article 225-16-1 of the Penal code, apart from cases of violence, threats or sexual offences, ragging is the fact that a person causes another person, whether it is against their will or not, to undergo or commit humiliating or degrading acts or to consume alcohol excessively, during events or meetings linked to the school, sports and socio-educational environment, and is punishable by six months' imprisonment and a fine of €7,500.
