Big Rise in Rape Complaints in France in 2018: Interior Ministry
The number of rape and sexual offence complaints made to French police "rose sharply" in 2018, according to figures published Thursday by the interior ministry.
Paris, Feb 1 (AFP) The number of rape and sexual offence complaints made to French police "rose sharply" in 2018, according to figures published Thursday by the interior ministry.
Rape complaints increased almost 17 per cent while sexual assault complaints jumped by around 20 per cent, the statistics showed.
The figures came against a background of "collective awareness of violence towards women born out of the (Harvey) Weinstein affair... and the MeToo movement that followed", a report by the ministry's statistical service said.
"The higher number of victims... probably comes from increased reporting of such crimes and a reduction in tolerance for this type of violence," it added.
The global "MeToo" movement that followed the Weinstein case encouraged victims to speak out with sexual allegations surfacing against a raft of well-known figures in the media and entertainment industries.
Political figures and aid group chiefs have also faced allegations.(AFP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)