Sexual or gender-based offending

Verified 23 June 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Did someone force you to do something that was sexist or sexual in nature? This is a gender or sexual outrage. If you are a victim of such an act, you can report it so that the perpetrator can be arrested and punished. If it hasn't been verbalized immediately after the commission of the contempt, you can file a complaint for him to be tried by the criminal courts. In any case, you can ask him for compensation.

FYI  

In case of emergency, you can contact Fallback Font by dialing the 17 (or the 112 if you live abroad). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or aphasic, you can contact 114 agents from the ‘Emergency 114’ mobile application or by SMS (last resort).

Sexist or sexual contempt occurs when a person imposes on you one statement or a sexist or sexual behavior, which violates your dignity or intimidates you, hurts you, makes you uncomfortable or humiliates you.

Example :

Sexist outrage may result in an insulting or humiliating comment about your gender (including gender).

Sexual outrage may take the form of comments, noises, gestures or proposals of a sexual nature.

Generally speaking, gender or sexual outrage is considered to be a contravention.

This action can be aggravated and constitute a offense when committed:

  • By a person who abuses the authority granted to him by his duties (for example, a contempt committed by the employer against an employee)
  • On a minor
  • On a person whose vulnerability due to age, illness, physical or psychological disability or pregnancy is apparent or known to the perpetrator
  • On a person who is particularly vulnerable or dependent because of his financial or social situation
  • By several people acting in groups
  • On public transport, on board a VTC: titleContent or in a place intended for access to a means of collective passenger transport (station, airport, bus shelters, etc.)
  • Because of sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim
  • By a person who has already been convicted of the offense of sexual and gender-based contempt and who commits the same offense infringement being in a state of recurrence.

Sexual or gender-based outrage can be proven by any means. For example, you can use one of the following:

  • Testimonials of any person (friends, colleagues, etc.)
  • Written exchanges with the author of the facts (SMS, emails, etc.)
  • Audio or video recordings (even without the knowledge of the perpetrator)
  • Photographs by the author of the events.

This evidence is essential if you wish to report the facts and/or file complaint.

You have to be as precise as possible: all these documents have to be dated.

There are several ways to report a case of gender or sexual contempt. The authorities to be notified depend on the place in which the infringement was committed.

General case

An instant messenger (chat) allows you to chat with a specially trained police officer or gendarme of infringement. This professional will help you in your steps and can guide you if you wish to file a complaint.

Report abuse or sexual or gender-based outrage

Chat history can be deleted from your computer, mobile phone or tablet at any time.

Please note

Witnesses to an act of gender-based violence (contempt, assault, rape, etc.) can also report from this chat.

Officers who are informed of the contempt may intervene immediately to arrest the offender and the fine.

In a transport

If you are a victim of or witness to sexual and gender-based contempt and you can identify the perpetrator, you have the option of alerting a SNCF: titleContent, of the RATP: titleContent or law enforcement agencies specially trained for suchThe offense.

This reporting can take place from a specific platform.

Agents of this platform can be reached at any time, free of charge and anonymously.

Who shall I contact

  • Gender-based violence reporting platform in transportation

    By telephone

    3117

    By SMS

    31,177

    From an application

    Since the application “Alert 3117” download from smartphone

Officers who are informed of the contempt may intervene immediately to arrest the offender and the fine.

At work

In the context of the work, the persons to whom the report must be made are not the same in the private sector as in the public sector.

Private sector

The cases to be notified differ according to the perpetrator of the sexist or sexual offense:

Sexual or gender-based offending by an employee

If the gender or sexual offense was committed in the course of work, you can report the matter to the staff representatives.

In companies with less than 11 employees, these are regional inter-branch joint commissions (JIRCs).

In the companies of more than 11 employees, the facts may be reported to the Social and Economic Committee (ESC).

The employee representatives or the CSE will inform the employer, unless the employer is the perpetrator of the contempt.

You can also report to Human Resources, your line manager or your employer to make a decision on a disciplinary sanction.

Finally, you have the option to alert labor inspection who will conduct an investigation and who may refer the matter to the public prosecutor.

Sexist or sexual offending by the employer

If the sexist or sexual offense was committed by your employer, you can report the matter to the employee representatives. In companies with less than 11 employees, these are regional inter-branch joint commissions (JIRCs).

In the companies of more than 11 employees, the facts may be reported to the Social and Economic Committee (ESC).

You also have the option to alert labor inspection who will conduct an investigation and who may refer the matter to the public prosecutor.

Public sector

You can use the public service reporting system for violence, discrimination, psychological or sexual harassment and gender-based behavior.

This reporting scheme comprises 3 types of procedures to be put in place by the employer:

  • A procedure for collecting reports from officers who are victims or witnesses of psychological or sexual harassment and sexist acts
  • A procedure for referring victims to the competent services and professionals responsible for their support
  • A procedure for referring victims or witnesses of such acts or acts to the competent authorities in order to take all appropriate protective measures and ensure the treatment of reported incidents, in particular by carrying out an administrative inquiry.

Your administration should establish the means by which you can make this report to the competent authority. It also includes the information and documents you need to provide to support your report.

A public official must be informed by his or her hierarchical authority of the existence of the alert system, its use and the procedures it provides for.

The system must ensure the strict confidentiality of the information transmitted by the victim or witness during the processing of the alert.

If the perpetrator of the sexist or sexual outrage has not been verbalized after the fact commission, you can file a complaint against him.

The complaint must be lodged within:

  • 1 year after the commission of the facts if the contempt constitutes a contravention,
  • 3 years after the commission of the facts if the contempt constitutes a offense (contempt committed in transport, on a minor, on grounds of sexual orientation, etc.).

Warning  

No complaints are taken into account whether the perpetrator has been arrested and given a flat-rate fine. However, you have the opportunity to to seek damages in front of civil courts.

To file a complaint, you can go to the police station or the gendarmerie brigade of your choice. You can also write to the public prosecutor.

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On the spot

To file a complaint, you must go to the police station or to the gendarme of your choice.

Who shall I contact

Police or gendarmerie services are obliged to register your complaint if you are a victim of infringement.

It's the public prosecutor who decides on the follow-up to the complaint (investigation, no follow-up classification...).

When filing a complaint, you can to bring you a civil party for the offender to be sentenced to pay you damages.

FYI  

Throughout the procedure, you may be assisted by a lawyer.

If you don't have the financial resources to pay for this professional, you can apply for legal aid.

By mail

You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.

To do this, you must send an email to the court of law of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.

Who shall I contact

Your mail should include the following:

  • Your marital status and full contact information (address and telephone number)
  • Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
  • Name of the alleged perpetrator if known (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
  • Name and address of any witnesses to the offense
  • Description and provisional or definitive estimate of the damage
  • Your proof documents: medical certificates, work stoppages, photographs, videos, miscellaneous invoices, findings...

You can use the following mail template:

File a complaint with the public prosecutor

You can send your complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (preferably), by simple letter or by letter followed.

You can also file your complaint directly at the courthouse.

In any case, a receipt is sent to you as soon as the Public Prosecutor's Office has registered your complaint.

When filing a complaint, you can to bring you a civil party for the offender to be sentenced to pay you damages.

FYI  

Throughout the procedure, you may be assisted by a lawyer.

If you don't have the financial resources to pay for this professional, you can apply for legal aid.

The perpetrator of a sexist or sexual outrage may be verbalized immediately after the fact-finding. In this case, it is required to settle a flat-rate fine.

If he is not fined after the commission of the acts, he may be sentenced by the court to other criminal sanctions.

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Flat-rate fine

As a general rule, the amount of the flat-rate fine is €150.

However, it may be increased to €250 if the sexist or sexual offense was committed:

  • By a person who abuses the authority granted to him by his duties (for example, a contempt committed by the employer against an employee)
  • On a minor
  • On a person whose particular vulnerability due to age, disease, physical or psychological disability or pregnancy is apparent or known to the perpetrator
  • On a person who is particularly vulnerable or dependent because of his financial or social situation
  • By several people acting in groups
  • On public transport, on board a VTC: titleContent or in a place intended for access to a means of collective passenger transport (station, airport, bus shelters, etc.)
  • Because of sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim
  • By a person who has already been convicted of the offense of sexual and gender-based contempt and who commits the same offense infringement being in a state of recurrence.

Warning  

If the perpetrator fails to pay the fine within 15 days from the moment it is verbalized, he will have to pay a higher amount. If he pays too late, the amount of the fine will still be increased.

Other criminal sanctions

Generally speaking, the perpetrator of a sexist and sexual offense is liable to a fine of €1,500.

When the offense is aggravated (offense against a minor, in transport, by several persons, etc.), it is a offense. In this case, the author shall be liable to a fine of €3,750.

In addition to the fine to be paid, the offender may be sentenced to:

  • A probationary sentence (e.g. prevention and response to intimate partner and gender-based violence)
  • Work of general interest.

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