Last Friday, Brigitte Macron, accompanied by the Minister Delegate for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa and Adrien Taquet, Minister Secretary of State in charge of Children and Families, visited the pediatric service of the Soissons Hospital Center, in the ‘Aisne, and more specifically the pediatric reception unit for children in danger (UAPED). This unit, opened almost six months ago, accommodates minors who are victims of physical and sexual violence. She receives the children on judicial requisition, to hear them in a safe, protective and equipped place, all by a multidisciplinary team: gendarme, policeman, doctor, magistrate. Europe 1 went there to meet those who welcome the words of these children.
Decoration and furnishings to build confidence
On the walls, posters of the Snow Queen, on the ground, a colored carpet, in a corner a few toys … Everything to give the welcomed public confidence. And no piece of furniture is left to chance, like in the hearing room, where the round table is made of glass. “This allows you to see what is happening under the table and all the bodily manifestations that can express worry, anxiety, stress”, explains Dr Sylvie Bock, pediatrician in charge of the unit, describing “children, who stamp with their feet, who wring their hands”. “And then it allows it to be picked up by the camera.” This camera on the ceiling, explains Sylvie Bock, is there to record the hearing and send it to the magistrates.
Across the hall is the examination room. “It comes with a gynecological examination table with pillows since I sometimes have little ones of 5-6 years old, weighing 20 kilos … They have to be propped up a bit. And that reassures them,” Sylvie still describes. Bock.
“Here they are considered victims”
Reassuring children is the very essence of this specialized pediatric unit. “Here, they are considered as victims, but also as suffering beings. As we are caregivers, this dimension of suffering is taken into account just as much as the dimension of the complainant”, assures the pediatrician. I said to them: ‘I am not a police officer, I am not a judge of children. I’m a doctor, so I’m here for you ‘. ”
Currently, 67 units like this exist today in France. The goal is to develop one in each department by 2022.
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