Launch of a Training Program to Better Support Child Victims of Sexual Violence

A five-day training program focused on the care of child victims of sexual violence, organized jointly by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Protection, the NGO Pedostop, and the University Hospital Center (CHU) of La Réunion, commenced on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the National Women's Development Center in Phoenix.

Officials from the Family Support Services, the Family Welfare and Protection Unit, and psychologists employed by the ministry will benefit from this training.

In a message delivered by Permanent Secretary Jean Daniel Philippe Labonne, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Protection, Ms. Arianne Navarre-Marie, expressed her gratitude to Pedostop and the CHU for their assistance to the ministry in this collaboration. She emphasized their shared ambition to protect, help, and support vulnerable victims of sexual violence.

She highlighted that the training aims to develop essential skills for ministry staff to assist child victims and effectively gather crucial information from them with the required sensitivity.

According to Ms. Arianne Navarre-Marie, this partnership will help enhance the capabilities and professionalism of the officers and promote excellence in the quality of services provided. She added that the training is a critical step in improving early detection, strengthening interventions, and ensuring support for victims.

Furthermore, the minister urged frontline staff to use their emotional intelligence and show a deep understanding of the complex realities faced by victims when assisting them, reminding that agents are usually the first individuals victims turn to for help and support.

As for the Director of Pedostop, Ms. Virginie Bissessur, she welcomed this joint collaboration, viewing it as an opportunity to unite efforts to protect children from sexual violence and provide comprehensive support to victims.