The Signal

The victims are mostly women and minors, with most of the perpetrators being men. These reports have resulted in about 400 restraining orders.

It was created six years ago, amidst MeToo and after revelations from figure skater Sarah Abitbol. The Signal-Sport unit continues to receive increasing reports of harassment, insults, and violence in physical activity settings. In its latest report presented on Thursday 23 April by the Ministry of Sports, it recorded 872 cases last year, representing a 64% increase.

The majority of victims in these reports are women (57%) and minors (67%). These rates further increase when it comes to sexist and sexual violence. The perpetrators are almost exclusively men (91%), mostly educators, whether professional or volunteers.

The platform has gained visibility and can record more reports, but it has also become more effective for follow-up. For each of the 872 reports, there was an administrative investigation. About 400 restraining orders were issued, either by prefectures, federations, or the judiciary.

In addition, there has been an increase in pre-checks, known as integrity checks. These have been generalized for a year now. One and a half million educators, volunteers, referees applying for a position have undergone verification, and nearly a thousand have been eventually excluded before coming into contact with practitioners.