Violence against women: Mr Thuan Dit Dieudonné leads a seminar with GREVIO at the Strasbourg Bar

On 15 September 2022, the Strasbourg Bar Association hosted a seminar on the implementation in France of the Istanbul Convention (the Council of Europe’s treaty on violence against women and domestic violence), attended by GREVIO, the group of experts responsible for monitoring states’ compliance with the Convention.

🎤 Mr Thuan Dit Dieudonné, moderator for the day

Organised by the Bar’s Human Rights, Family and Minors Committees, the event was moderated from start to finish by Mr Grégory Thuan Dit Dieudonné. Four round-table discussions brought together:

  • Françoise Brié, a GREVIO member elected to represent France and Director-General of the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes
  • two administrators from the Secretariat of the Istanbul Convention
  • judges from the Strasbourg Judicial Court, including a family court judge and a deputy prosecutor for juvenile cases
  • lawyers from the Strasbourg Bar, a clinical psychologist, the police and victim support organisations in the Bas-Rhin

⚖️ Four specific questions

  • Are children who are witnesses to or victims of violence sufficiently protected?
  • Custody and access rights: can a judge rely on the so-called ‘parental alienation syndrome’? How can we prevent the victim from being blamed a second time?
  • Are protection orders truly effective?
  • What is the policy on prevention and prosecution in Strasbourg?

The discussions were based on the GREVIO report on France from November 2019.

Why this is essential

An international convention only provides protection if it is implemented in practice, in every court. Bringing judges, lawyers, the police and organisations together around the same table means advancing victim protection where it really matters: on the ground.

👉 Whether you are a victim of domestic violence, facing a custody dispute or seeking a protection order, our firm is here to support you.