Home › Explained sheets › Rights and duties
Protecting victims of violence
The law forbids all forms of violence. If you are a victim, you can be supported and protected, even for past events.
Key points of the sheet
- All violence has consequences, for the victim and for the person who was violent. So it is important not to stay alone and to act.
- Talking about your suffering helps you break out of isolation. You can talk to a trusted person or to a professional, such as a doctor.
- Many specialised associations exist. They often offer psychological, legal and social support.
- This support is free and confidential. You do not have to file a complaint.
- The victim can file a complaint at a police station or a gendarmerie. They can also write to the public prosecutor or use an online reporting platform.
- The victim of violence is never responsible.
- Emergency numbers exist: for example 17 for the police, 115 for emergency housing, 119 for child abuse, 3919 for domestic violence.
Words to know
- trusted person (personne de confiance)
- It is a person you can talk to, for example: a friend, a family member, a colleague, a teacher.
- specialised associations (associations spécialisées)
- They help victims according to the type of violence, for free and confidentially.
- public prosecutor (procureur de la République)
- The victim can send them a letter to report the facts.
- online reporting platforms (plateformes de signalement en ligne)
- They make it possible to report violence, in particular sexual and sexist violence.
- domestic violence (Violences conjugales)
- The emergency number for domestic violence is 3919.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Which number do you call for domestic violence?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel numéro appeler pour des violences conjugales ?
Number 3919 is the number for domestic violence.
What is the support offered by associations like?
In French, the language of the exam: Comment sont les accompagnements des associations ?
This support is free, confidential and with no obligation to file a complaint.
Can you be protected for violence suffered in the past?
In French, the language of the exam: Peut-on être protégé pour une violence subie dans le passé ?
Whatever the violence, recent or in the past, you can be supported and protected.
You have read the sheet. See where you stand with 40 questions like the real exam.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)Free mock exam · Exam Pass €19 incl. VAT, paid once, no subscription
Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
More in this topic (Obligations and duties of people living in France)
- Human trafficking and prostitution
- The role of witnesses in cases of violence
- The obligations of a French citizen
Source
Sheet “La protection des victimes de violences” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.