Incest has serious physical and mental consequences for the victims. Therapy allows them to rebuild. Complaining is also part of the reconstruction process. 

Incest is defined as a sexual relationship between a child and a member of the child’s family or entourage. The family member can be: an ascendant (parents, grandparents, in-laws, guardians) or a collateral (uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousin). The member of the family circle is a close person having a relationship of trust and / or authority: family friend, neighbor, other child, priest, teacher, educator, etc. Incest exists when conduct of a sexual nature is forced on the child without his knowledge, whether he is consenting or not, whether he is aware of it or not, whether it takes place once or several times, in such a way. hidden or not. Sexual abuse does not have to involve penetration. It can be any other verbal, physical, or psychological constraint: kissing, touching, exhibitionism, repeated sexual innuendos, use of pornographic material, simulation of sexual intercourse …

3% of French people say they have been victims of incest.

Sexual violence against children has serious consequences. The consequences on mental health first of all: flashbacks, amnesia, sleep disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of self-esteem, phobias …

One in two people who were sexually assaulted in childhood have attempted suicide. 

Childhood sexual violence also has a physical impact: pathologies of the urogenital system, migraines, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic pain, dermatological conditions, chronic fatigue, etc.

Without appropriate care, psychotraumatic disorders causing very great mental suffering can last for years, decades, or even a lifetime.

(1) National survey (France) among victims, Impact and management of sexual violence from childhood to adulthood, Association Mémoire Traumatique et Victimologie, 2014

The treatment of psychotrauma including those related to incest is essentially psychotherapeutic: integrative and humanist psychotherapy, dynamic psychotherapy, behavioral and cognitive therapies, bodily therapies such as EMDR (neuro-emotional integration through eye movements). 

The therapeutic work allows the victim to rebuild himself, to reconnect with himself thanks to this work consisting mainly of putting into words what he has suffered. This helps to restore responsibility to the abuser, to work on the feelings of guilt and shame that persist in the victim long after the assault.

Filing a complaint is an important part of the work of rebuilding the incest victim and their family. Indeed, filing a complaint allows the recognition of the victim. The reconstruction time required before filing a complaint can be long. But you should know that child victims or their representatives can file a complaint against the perpetrators of these offenses even long after the date of the facts. Thus, the victim can file a complaint up to 30 years after reaching the age of majority in cases of rape and up to 20 years after the victim has reached the age of majority in cases of sexual assault other than rape and sexual assault.