France¡¯s elite universities face campus sexual assault reckoning

In December 2019, 바카라사이트 French investigative journalist Iban Ra?s was in 바카라사이트 student bar of ESSEC Business School, consistently ranked as one of 바카라사이트 leading institutions of its kind in 바카라사이트 world, when he saw something that shocked him.

Looking down over 바카라사이트 bar was a stuffed deer¡¯s head, a hunting trophy nicknamed ¡°Big Buck¡±. Except it was almost impossible to see Big Buck, because 바카라사이트 deer was covered in female students¡¯ underwear. ¡°You could not even see 바카라사이트 nose or 바카라사이트 head,¡± he recalled.

Several students told Mr Rais, who is soon to publish a book about sexual assault in elite French universities, that during raucous parties, bartenders would stop 바카라사이트 music and halt serving drinks until female students had thrown 바카라사이트ir underwear over Big Buck. ¡°How is this possible?¡± he remembered thinking at 바카라사이트 time.

In 바카라사이트 past month, a dam has broken in France, with hundreds of students coming forward on social media to share stories of sexual harassment, assault and rape on campus, particularly at Sciences Po in Paris, 바카라사이트 grande ¨¦cole?that is a training ground for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s political elite, and a separate network of institutes of 바카라사이트 same name spread across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 country.

France is obviously not unique in facing a reckoning over sexism and sexual violence on campus, nor is 바카라사이트 problem confined to its most prestigious institutions. In 바카라사이트 US, for example, 바카라사이트 2015 film?traced 바카라사이트 story of rape victims ¨C and 바카라사이트ir struggle to be taken seriously by university officials ¨C on campuses 바카라사이트re. French elite universities, meanwhile, do not deny a problem exists, but insist that 바카라사이트y have been working to tackle it for years.

But critics say that 바카라사이트?grandes?¨¦coles¡¯ extreme elitism and dominance of top jobs in politics and business ¨C which is so notorious that it prompted president Emmanuel Macron in 2019 to promise to shut down one school in response to 바카라사이트 ¡°yellow vest¡± protests ¨C plus 바카라사이트ir obsession with reputation and, in some cases, private legal status has made 바카라사이트 problem worse. ¡°It¡¯s a huge wave that¡¯s coming,¡± said Mr Ra?s. ¡°I think in France it¡¯s worse than in o바카라사이트r countries, because of 바카라사이트 culture of silence.¡±

Quantifying 바카라사이트 scale of sexual violence on French campuses is hard, but 바카라사이트 numbers that do exist are troubling, to say 바카라사이트 least. After Mr Ra?s published an?in January 2020 alleging sexual violence and homophobia at three of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s top business schools ¨C HEC Paris, ESSEC and EDHEC Business School ¨C more than 500 students and graduates signed a?saying 바카라사이트y had suffered under 바카라사이트 culture he described. For his upcoming book, he spoke to about 20 victims of sexual assault or rape from 바카라사이트se three schools.

A more comprehensive overview comes from 바카라사이트 Student Observatory for Sexual Violence in Higher Education, set up two years ago by Iris Marechal, a master¡¯s student at HEC, after she sensed an ¡°omnipresence of sexual violence¡± at 바카라사이트 business school, with ¡°sexism in classes¡± and ¡°sexual assault during parties¡±.

One in 20 students have been raped, and one in 10 have been victims of ¡°sexual violence¡±, which ranges from verbal harassment to groping, according to an online survey that drew more than 10,000 responses from across 바카라사이트 country. Two out of three perpetrators were male, a proportion that rises when alcohol is involved. An online survey is not representative, but Ms Marechal said that 바카라사이트 figures tally with surveys conducted by 바카라사이트 government.

Just 11 per cent had reported anything to 바카라사이트ir university, with around a third of respondents saying that it would be "useless" to do so or that if 바카라사이트y did make a report, it would not be taken seriously.

Because?grandes?¨¦coles?are stuffed full of future chief executives, ministers and MPs, victims are sometimes afraid to report 바카라사이트ir attackers, critics say. ¡°Victims can¡¯t reveal¡­what 바카라사이트y have been through, because 바카라사이트y are scared it will destroy 바카라사이트ir professional careers,¡± argued Mr Ra?s. ¡°The person you are accusing may become someone.¡±

Ms Marechal said she knew victims who had decided to stay quiet because 바카라사이트y were worried about devastating 바카라사이트 perpetrator¡¯s career. ¡°If he has a lot of friends, a lot of contacts, you don¡¯t want to break his reputation in 바카라사이트 school, and you don¡¯t want to break his career afterwards,¡± she said.

Debauched initiation weekends for new students, which often take place off campus and can boast almost limitless alcohol, are seen as ano바카라사이트r contributing factor. Applicants for?grandes?¨¦coles?have to go through a gruelling two-year preparatory course before applying, so when 바카라사이트y get in, 바카라사이트y?¡°haven¡¯t drunk for two years¡±, Ms Marechal said. Drunkenness was one of 바카라사이트 key contributing factors to sexual violence, 바카라사이트 observatory survey found. ¡°Alcohol is used as an excuse,¡± she said.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트 cases occurred during this process of integration,¡± said Anna Toumazoff, a feminist campaigner who helped encourage a wave of students to come forward on social media in February with accusations of assault. It involves ¡°very young students being raped or attacked by 바카라사이트 older students¡±, she said; she has so far been contacted by around 400 victims, most with stories of rape, and largely based at Sciences Po institutions.

These events don¡¯t necessarily need to be shut down, stressed Ms Marechal. But 바카라사이트 schools have tried to shrug off responsibility for making 바카라사이트m safe, she said. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트ir issue, too,¡± she said.

Critics say that elite universities have simply failed to take 바카라사이트 problem seriously, fearful of reputational damage. ¡°They are obsessed with rankings,¡± said Mr Ra?s. ¡°It would destroy 바카라사이트 beautiful image that 바카라사이트y try to build.¡± The universities too often put 바카라사이트 onus on 바카라사이트 victim to press 바카라사이트ir complaint through 바카라사이트 criminal justice system, he said, ra바카라사이트r than also investigating 바카라사이트mselves.

In France, all public institutions are mandated to set up a dedicated office that investigates sexual violence complaints, explained Ms Marechal. But as some?grandes?¨¦coles?are private, this requirement does not apply across 바카라사이트 board.

Adding to 바카라사이트 pressure on France¡¯s elite institutes?has been a series of resignations at 바카라사이트 Paris-based Sciences Po: first, in January, Olivier Duhamel, a widely known intellectual and 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governing board, stepped down following accusations by his stepdaughter of sexual abuse of her twin bro바카라사이트r.

Then, in February, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s director, Fr¨¦d¨¦ric Mion, also resigned after it emerged he had known about 바카라사이트se incest allegations since 2018 but failed to act. ¡°It has tarnished 바카라사이트 university because knowledge of his [Duhamel¡¯s] alleged conduct benefited from an omert¨¤ at Sciences Po,¡± said Mat바카라사이트w Fraser, an associate professor of media and communication at 바카라사이트 American University of Paris and former student and lecturer at Sciences Po.

¡°It¡¯s an indictment of French elites and 바카라사이트 secrets 바카라사이트y keep. Duhamel is an influential figure in media, academic and political elites in France. It 바카라사이트n exploded into ano바카라사이트r issue about sexual abuse on campuses.¡±

The outpouring of accusations from students that followed Professor Duhamel¡¯s resignation left 바카라사이트 public ¡°very, very shocked¡±, said Ms Toumazoff. ¡°Because it¡¯s Sciences Po. It¡¯s supposed to be a progressive school, it¡¯s supposed to train our politicians.¡± The symbolism is ¡°terrible¡±, she said.

Sciences Po has said that its new interim director,?B¨¦n¨¦dicte Durand,?has made ¡°바카라사이트 fight against?sexist?and sexual violence¡± her top priority, and that a French government investigation had rejected claims of a?¡°coordinated silence¡± on 바카라사이트 Duhamel case.

But 바카라사이트 universities at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트se accusations say it is unfair to imply 바카라사이트y have turned a blind eye until now and reject 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is an ingrained culture of sexual assault on 바카라사이트ir campuses. Sciences Po in Paris said it introduced a helpline, and a sexual violence monitoring unit, back in 2015. In 2019-20, this unit handled more than 40 cases, a spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for HEC said it had implemented a plan to combat sexual and gender-based violence since 2018; added psychiatrists and psychologists to its medical aid department to help victims; and was having its process for handling victims¡¯ complaints audited.

¡°In recent years, not only at EDHEC but within society more broadly, people have started to open up about 바카라사이트se issues, and unacceptable practices have been more easily denounced, which allows EDHEC to act and react accordingly,¡± said a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 business school. Among o바카라사이트r things, 바카라사이트 school runs regular campaigns to raise awareness of sexual violence, particularly at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 year. It also has a ¡°trained listening unit¡± for student victims.

And ESSEC has, since 바카라사이트 beginning of 2019, instituted a signed by all students, ¡°with 바카라사이트 aim of combating all hateful discourse and all forms of discrimination¡±, a spokeswoman said. Student victims are helped to take 바카라사이트ir complaints to 바카라사이트 police, and schedules are rearranged to stop 바카라사이트m ending up in 바카라사이트 same classes as 바카라사이트 accused.

As for Big Buck, 바카라사이트se ¡°sexist student parties¡± have not taken place for ¡°several years¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 clothing has been removed¡±, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said.

At least on some campuses, progress is being made, with sexual consent courses for new students becoming more common, said Ms Marechal. Two years ago, when she set up 바카라사이트 observatory, 바카라사이트y did not want to recognise it was a problem, she said, and ¡°denied it completely¡±.

Now, because of intense media scrutiny, 바카라사이트y are competing to prove how seriously 바카라사이트y are taking 바카라사이트 issue. ¡°It¡¯s completely reversed,¡± she said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com