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Total score
5.2
France
France has made very limited progress on ending childhood sexual violence at home and around the world.
2025 Policy indicators for France
France’s financial commitment is deteriorating rapidly, with the Bayrou government’s decision in January 2025 to cut the ODA budget by 35%, representing a radical retreat from global leadership (1).
France has not abolished criminal statutes of limitations in relation to child sex abuse offences (2). As an EU member state, France must champion the approval of the recast Directive 2011/93/EU, which would mandate a strong minimum statute of limitations for childhood sexual violence offences in all EU countries.
France has some protections in place to foster a safe internet, but they are inadequate. According to IWF data, 2,947 URLs displaying child sexual abuse imagery were hosted in France in 2023 (3). As an EU member state, France must champion an EU Regulation on Child Sexual Abuse which would mandate detection and removal of all forms of childhood sexual violence across all online platforms.
While at present, France is yet to have implemented a formal, government-backed National Survivors Council, Prime Minister François Bayrou recently announced the intention to create one—the first such commitment from a French head of government and a direct result of the advocacy of the Brave Movement in France (4).
France does not have a comprehensive National Action Plan to address childhood sexual violence which adequately addresses prevention, healing, and justice (5).
- Public Sénat. (2025). Budget 2025: le Sénat vote une coupe budgétaire de 35 % dans l’aide publique au développement.
- Miguel Hurtado et al. (Forthcoming). SOLs Report.
- Internet Watch Foundation. (2023). Annual Report 2023
- Brave Movement. (2025). The Brave Movement welcomes the French PM’s support for the creation of a victims council.
- Ministère du Travail, de la Santé, des Solidarités et des Familles. (2023). Plan de lutte contre les violences faites aux enfants 2023-2027.
Taking action! #BeBrave France!
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Insights from our #BeBrave members in France
News
The Brave Movement welcomes the French PM’s support for the creation of a victims council
Support from France’s Prime Minister for the creation of a national survivor council has been welcomed by the Brave Movement as ” An essential step towards ending violence against children in France .” The announcement, made by François Bayrou today at the National Assembly in Paris brings closer the establishment of a body made-up of survivors of abuse, to advise on legislation, policies, and programs aimed at ending it. Brave stands ready to support the creation of a Council which can amplify survivor voices, provide an exchange platform for experts and survivors and serve as an invaluable resource in the development of policies tackling child sexual violence .” Constance Bertrand, French survivor spokesperson of the Saint-Dominique de Neuilly-sur-Seine survivors' group said: “ A National Council would be an initiative that gives victims a voice and a place.
Resource
A practical guide for creating survivor councils
This practical guide aims to support survivors, civil society organisations, and their government allies in establishing survivor councils to inform policy on ending violence against children.
See the G7 countries
Indicators
- Financial investment in development aid for childhood protection
- Elimination of statutes of limitations in relation to childhood sexual violence in criminal law
- Implementation of national action plans or strategy to address childhood sexual violence
- Engagement with survivors through a government-supported or endorsed national survivor council
- Safe internet
