06/09/2016

BBCNEWS|Programmes|CrossingContinents|Europe|Franceinshockovergangrape

Thursday,26July,2001,09:59GMT10:59UK

Franceinshockovergangrape

Adjiatou,anactorin"LaSquale,"afilmthatshockedanationwithitshorrificscenesofgangrape

ByRosieGoldsmith
WatchingthefilmLaSquale(whichtranslatesas"thesquaw"or"thegirltearaway")wasatestbothfor
mynervesandmyFrench.The14,15and16yearoldteenagerswatchingitwithmehardlybatan
eyelid:theyhadseenandhearditallbefore.
ItissetinahousingestateinthesuburbofSarcelles,France'sveryfirst"newtown"ontheoutskirtsof
Paris.Thisiswheretheteenagerslivethisfilmwasabouttheirlives.
Listentothisprogrammeinfull
LaSqualestartswithanhorrificgangrapeofayounggirlcalledLeila.Theboys
areallschoolageandtheytakeitinturnstorapeher.
It'sdifficulttoseehowmanytheyaretheirhideawayisdark.Maybeeight.
Leilaisscreamingandtheboysshoutunrepeatableinsults.Thedeedisdone.
Gangmembership
Theboyshaveproventheyareworthyofgangmembership:therapewasa
riteofpassage.Thenthefilmcutstotheschoolplaygroundwheretheboysare
boastingoftheirconquestandeyeingupthenextone.
Leilaisnowa"petasse"intheireyesawhore.Shedarenottellthepolice
becauseshefearsreprisalssheandherfamilyareforcedtomoveawayfrom
Sarcellesforever.Andsotherelentlessviolenceandabusecontinue.
Lowpolicepresence
Fortoomanyoftheseteenagerstheirsisalostgenerationlosttocrime,
drugs,unemployment.Theirparentshavelittleinfluenceontheirlivesmany
familieshavebrokenupandpolicepresenceinviolentcitysuburbslike
Sarcellesislow.
"LaSquale"isnotahomemoviemadewithashakyhandheldvideo.Itisa
professionalfilmonnationalreleaseandithasshockedthenation.Thisisthe
FrancethatthemajorityofFrenchpeopledonotseebutitisarealityforthe
millionsofimmigrantandpoorwhitefamilieswhoinhabitthesuburbsofbig
cities,knownasthe"banlieue".
Suburbansegregation
PresenterRosieGoldsmithon

Sarcellesisoneof20banlieuesaroundParis.Ahuge,soullessclusteroftower ahousingestateinSarcelles,
sceneofgangrapes
blocksonlya15minutetrainjourneyfromthecentreofthatglorious,grand
capitalcity.These"satellites"werebuiltmostlyinthepostwarperiod
originallyforFrance's"guestworkers"fromthecoloniesandforitsworkingclasswhitepopulation.
NowadaysthisisgenerallycondemnedasadeliberatepolicyofsegregationonthepartoftheFrench
Government.Onlytodayisthegovernmenthavingtofacetheconsequencesofitsfailure.
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BBCNEWS|Programmes|CrossingContinents|Europe|Franceinshockovergangrape

Thefilm"LaSquale"haspushedtheproblemsoftheBanlieuetocentrestage
andpoliticiansatalllevelsaredealingwithwhat'shappeningontheirdoorstep.
JeanneSillam,theremarkablewomanwhohadtheideaforthefilm,nowhas
theearofthePresidentJacquesChiracandtheEducationMinisterJackLang.
JeanneSillamistheheadmistressofoneofthemostdifficultschoolsinFrance.
ItwasherethatIwatched"LaSquale"withherpupils.Itwasthisschoolwhich
"inspired"thefilm.ButtomeetMadameSillamisashock.Herpupilsmaybe
dressedinsweatshirtsandtrainersbutsheissmall,blond,quietlyspokenand
exquisitelydressedherhometownisnotSarcellesbutCannesontheFrench
Rivierawhichiswhereshewillretiresoon.Whenherjobisdone.
Breakingthesilence

EducationMinisterJackLang

JeanneSillam'sdecisiontoraisetheissueofgangrapewasallthemore
remarkablebecauseofthefactthatoneofthecharacteristicsofviolenceinthe
Banlieueistheunwrittenrulethatnoonespeaksout.
ItistheLawofSilencethatallupholdthevictims,theperpetrators,the
familiesandthepolice.EveryoneisafraidofreprisalsjustlikeLeilainthe
film.ButJeanneSillamfoundadirectorandfinancingforthefilmsomeofthe
actorsareevenfromtheschoolandshehasbeenacclaimedasaresult.
Ableaklandscape

It'smyvocation.I
wanttohelpyoung
WiththehelpoftwoofMadameSillam'sstudentsIwas peoplecomingfrom
determinedtofindout.Itwasamatterofwinningtrust. AfricaorIndia,form
OnmythirddaythereyoungLudovicagreedtoshowme everycountry.There
around.Wemetonhisestategroupsofgiant,identikit are40nationalitiesin
ourschool.Theyhave
highriseswithaplaygroundmorelikeawasteland
manyproblems...You
breakingupthemonotony.
can'timaginewhatis
happeninginthis
Afewkidshangaroundonstreetcornerslisteningtorap, suburbofParis

bored,staring.Ludovictookmetoseeonenotorious
buildingwhereheknewgangrapestookplaceinthe
cellar."Notinthestairwell,"hesaid,"becausethatwould
maketoomuchnoise."

HeadmistressJeanneSillam
wasappalledbythegang
rapesanddecidedtospeak
out

JeanneSillam,
Headmistress

Heshowedmewallscoveredinoffensivegraffitiandswastikasthewindowshadbulletholes."Aguy
waskilledjustoutsidethistowerblock"hetoldme."Hewasthrownintoadustbinandnoonedid
anythingaboutit.Andthepolicenevercomehere."
Victimsfearidentification
ButLudoviccouldnot,orwouldnot,introducemetogangrapevictims.The
LawofSilence.Theheadmistress,JeanneSillam,hadtoldmeaboutayoung
womanaformerpupilcalledAdjiatouwhowasparticularlycourageousin
speakingoutand"hadcontacts".
Adjiatouhadalsobeenoneofthefemaleleadsinthefilm"LaSquale".There
wasnooneclosertothestory.ImetheronDayFour.Thefilm,shetoldme,
hadbeenutterlyrealistic.
"Twoofmyfriends,"sheexplained,"havebeengangraped.OneTurkishgirl
andonewhiteFrenchgirl.Theboysjumpedonthem,oneafteranother.Infive
minutesitwasoverbutthosefiveminuteshaveruinedtheirlives.Iamafraid
mostofthetimethatitcouldhappentome."
Wouldherfriendstalktome?Iwondered."Theydon'twantto.Theyhaven't
evenbeenabletotelltheirownparents...orthepoliceorjournalists."

Ludoviclivesonanestate
wherepolicepresenceis
virtuallyunknown

AdjiatouandLudovicarebraveintalkingtome.Theywanttoimprovetheirlives:Adjiatouwantstodo
moreactingLudovicwantstobearapstar.Therearegrowingnumbersofbravepeopleinthesuburbs
whohavesimplyhadenough.
Acoupleofcasesofgangrapearenowmakingittocourtbutthegirlsareprotectedbyawholearmy
oflawyers,psychiatristsandsocialworkers.Theyneverappearinpublic.Afterseeingthefilm"La
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BBCNEWS|Programmes|CrossingContinents|Europe|Franceinshockovergangrape

Squale"andhearingthestoriesofthesegirls,theEducationMinister,JackLang,admittedtobeing
"profoundlyshocked".
Towardasolution
MyweekinParishappenedtocoincidewiththefirstevernationalconferenceonyouthviolencein
Frenchschools,organisedbyJackLang.Imanagedtograbhimforafewwordsattheend.The
problemofviolenceintheBanlieue,hesaid,isurgent.
"Therearemanyinitiativesinthecountrytofightitmoreteachers,moresocialworkers,better
informationofparentsandchildrenthepupilshavetobeengagedtomakethiswork,"hesaid.
Howseriousissexualviolence,Iasked?"It'sarealproblem.Iwillreceivebeforetheendoftheyear
proposalsaboutthisquestion.Wewillalsoengageacampaignagainstsexualviolenceit'svery
important."
Thesilenceofthelostgenerationhasbeenbroken.
AlsointhiseditionofCrossingContinents:welookatthelatestcrazethePsychologyCafeand
speaktosomeofthefewremainingaccordionistswhoperformtraditionalFrenchmusic.

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