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France's Climate Enables Sexual Violence, Says Freitag Column

opinion-review · 2026-06-12

A column in German newspaper Der Freitag argues that France does not have a #MeToo problem but a systemic issue with sexualized violence, pointing to the case of singer Patrick Bruel and the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna. The author criticizes the country's failure to address repeated offenses by known perpetrators, citing the overwhelmed justice system. The piece references the Gisèle Pelicot case as a continuing scandal one year on, highlighting a culture of looking away.

Key facts

  • Column discusses Patrick Bruel in context of sexual violence in France
  • France described as having a problem with sexualized violence, not just #MeToo
  • Murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna in southwestern France mentioned
  • Suspect in Lyhanna case was father of a classmate, previously reported for severe sexual violence
  • Gisèle Pelicot case referenced as ongoing issue one year later
  • Article published in Der Freitag
  • Author criticizes France's failure to address sexual violence
  • Title translates to 'In France, a climate that favors sexual violence prevails'

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Der Freitag

Locations

  • France
  • Südwesten Frankreichs

Sources