Comités de Vigilance Alexis Danan

Supporting child abuse victims as they prepare to testify in court.

• Each year, 160,000 children are victims of sexual abuse in France.
• Every three minutes, a child is a victim of sexual assault or sexual abuse.
• Only one in six reports of sexual assault or abuse against minors result in the perpetrator being convicted, and this number falls to only one in 10 for cases which involve incest.

An innovative protocol to support children testifying in court

The Protocole Calliope is France's response to Quebec’s Child Witness program, which was created by the Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC) in the Outaouais region. Its aim is to support child victims and prepare them to testify before a judge, so that this step is as comfortable as possibly for them. To this end, specially trained social workers provide children with specialized support throughout the legal process. With the help of their support worker, the children develop the skills they need to testify, while addressing their fears and building their self-confidence. The goal is to help them understand each step of the legal process, thus fostering their resilience.

To date, this program has been implemented in Rennes, Lorient, and Brest.

Thanks to the Kering Foundation's support, the assistance and the tools provided to child victims are completely free.

Better protecting children through support and training programs

Recognized by government ministries as an important partner in the fight against child abuse, the Association Nationale des Comités de Vigilance Alexis Danan (ANCVAD) is a French association that combats child abuse and works to promote, protect, and defend children's rights.

Made up of seven committees spread throughout France, its work involves researching and implementing innovative programs that offer specialized support to victims of sexual abuse and their families. Training courses are provided to help professionals develop their skills, particularly in terms of caring for victims. In addition to the Protocole Calliope, two other training programs exist:

• The Lanterne Program, which focuses on children aged zero to five and early childhood professionals, and which aims to prevent sexual abuse and to promote egalitarian relationships among children.
• The Orphée Project, which works with minors under the age of 13 who exhibit intrusive sexual behaviors.

Lastly, the association formulates proposals to improve legislation and institutional frameworks for protecting children's rights and preventing abuse.