France votes on sexual violence bill

Well, we're going to turn back to one of our major stories today. Sorry, earlier we had a little bit of a technical issue that prevented us from speaking to our correspondent. Now, that's just a reminder. That's French lawmakers in the National Assembly voting on the so-called comprehensive bill, which addresses sexual abuse. It, of course, comes in response to nationwide shock over several recent high-profile cases of sexual violence. Now, the bill is widely expected to be adopted. So, if we have you now, Luke Shrego, standing by at the National Assembly, can you tell us what's happening today? Well, indeed, Aaron, it's the comprehensive law on gender-based and sexual violence, and French MPs are going to be voting on that bill at half past four Paris time. Now, if it passes, it would really rewire the the French judicial and social safety nets in a completely new way. It follows six days of debate last week, but it's a moment where, at least, a great measure of a normally fractious French Parliament has found a certain measure of common ground. Now, this bill introduces the creation of special judicial police units to investigate sexual crimes. It expands the criminal definition of incest. It also creates a specific offence for the sending of unsolicited sexual images that would call for a year in prison and a fifty thousand euro fine sanctions that would increase if the victim was a minor. Now, it also takes a look at digital stalking and the use of location to track people on their telephones. Not to mention a new measure that would see school interviews increased from four throughout the course of schooling to one every year. Those interviews are designed to try to detect any abuse or violence against children. Now, that would come into effect until 2032 would be mandatory until that point. But there has been criticism from across certain parts of the political spectrum saying that it means the government is only paying lip service to what this bill is meant to represent. The government, for its part, has been pushing for a new vote on workplace leave for the victims of sexual violence. That measure was taken out and voted against by the far right wing and certain elements of the centrist MPs on Friday, sparking a great deal of criticism. Now, if it does pass, the bill would then move up to the Senate and its its conservative majority for a full review this coming January. Now, Luke, you did suggest in the beginning there that there has been some degree of political consensus about this bill. As a reminder, it is expected to pass in the National Assembly. Nonetheless, it now seems like some of the NGOs that initially largely supported the text are perhaps less satisfied than expected with the final draft. What's behind that? That's right, Erin. There were around 132, 140 NGOs and advocacy groups that were all on board with this legislation as it was moving forward, and it has now lost this unanimous support. There are several groups that have denounced the text, saying that it gives disproportionate weight to criminal responses. Now, groups such as #Nuitute, Med Sans Démence, and the Sex Workers Collective Strasse, they've said that the bill fundamentally was warped during the process of the debates, and that there is this reliance on prison sentencing rather than the use of state funding for long-term psychological care or even preventive education, and that's led to a great deal of anger from those groups. There's also anger coming from a certain clause that would allow doctors to bypass patient consent and report assaults or abuse directly to French prosecutors. And the left wing is joining its voice too. There's saying that it's angry over the stripping out of a protection clause that would prevent the deportation of foreign victims, foreign foreigners who would be subject to deportation orders. Could have been able to stay if they had been if they had made a complaint and. Carried out a case for assault, but that was stripped out by the right, were the far right wing, exposing these fault lines around a law that was really meant to protect victims. That is now being seen to have been watered down into a tool used to punish offenders. Luke Shrego reporting from the National Assembly. Thank you very much.