Successive feminicides in Friborg
“We will never be able to completely avoid these dramas”
In four months, the canton of Friborg experienced two feminicides as well as an attempt. The State Councilor Philippe Demierre is expressed for the first time on this black series.
The State Councilor Philippe Demierre says he is “shocked” by this succession of dramas. The elected UDC is assisted by Sophie Delessert, head of the equality office (on the screen).
CHANTAL DERVEY
- The canton of Friborg notes a disturbing increase in domestic violence since 2017.
- A new cantonal action plan provides 37 measures against domestic violence.
- The threat management unit offers an in -depth analysis of risks.
- As early as 2026, a special violence medicine unit will be operational, as well as an emergency telephone permanence.
What is happening in Friborg soil? In four months, two feminicides hit the canton: first Spany in Aprilthen early July at Givisiez. Barely a few days later, An attempted feminicide in Friborg has increased this black series. How to explain these successive dramas? Should we review the cantonal system in the fight against domestic violence?
The State Councilor Philippe Demierre (UDC) answers our questions. The Director of Health and Social Affairs (DSAS) is seconded by the manager of the Equality Equality Office and the Visioconferencing Family, Sophie Delessert.
How do you react to this suite of dramas?
Philippe Demierre: I am shocked. Such tragedies should not happen. These are human dramas that directly confront us with the most fatal consequences of violence within the couple. It is true that we are witnessing a black series in Friborg. It could have happened elsewhere in Switzerland. But it happened here.
Failure at random, do you think?
Violence within the couple is a global scourge. Switzerland is not spared, nor the canton of Friborg. All populations are concerned: that resulting from migration such as the Swiss and the Swiss of all social strata. The phenomenon is unfortunately increasing, the figures show it. In this area, we are based, among other things, on the police statistics of crime which lists offenses related to domestic violence at the national level. The figures have not stopped increasing in recent years. From 17,000 offenses in 2017, there were nearly 20,000 in 2023, an increase of 17%.
In the canton of Friborg, the evolution of domestic violence is part of the same trend, with an increase in offenses going from 768 to 974 between 2017 and 2023, an increase of 27%. This trend is not negligible. In Switzerland, these are 19 women in 2025 to date. It’s huge.
Why is Friborg particularly affected?
We cannot draw a conclusion at this stage. A working group, led by the Attorney General Fabien Gasser, is studying specifically events which led to the drama of Épagny. A coordinated communication between the public prosecutor, the DSAS and DSJS, the Directorate of Security, Justice and Sport, is scheduled in the fall of 2025, once the work is approved.
Given the last dramas, do you believe that the canton measures are sufficient?
Friborg has had a concept of violence in the couple and their impacts on the family since 2018. This action plan has been drawn up by the Cantonal Commission for the Fighting Violence in the couple, the fruit of long -term work of many specialists on the ground. This commission has sixteen members, such as the police, the courts of justice, the Lavi centers, the Solidarité women association, etc.
In May, the Council of State validated the concept updated by the Commission by providing in particular A specific law to combat domestic violence. The process of preparing the law is also part of the priorities of the start of the school year.
On the budget side, total expenses for the action plan amount to just over 10 million francs for the 1920s to 2028. And several measures in the 2018 concept have already deployed their effect.
Which ones?
I am thinking in particular of the field concerning children exposed to violence of couple with training for professionals concerned, a specific procedure at the Friborg Hospital or even a systematic reporting to the authorities of protection of the child and the adult during a police intervention.
Sophie Delessert: The canton of Friborg also has a flagship device which is the management unit of the threat, the UGM. This structure was created within the cantonal police in 2020. It does not only deal with cases of domestic violence, even if this represents an important part of its work. It allows better management of situations of violence with risk analysis and monitoring of situations. This represents support to the professionals concerned who can call the UGM and submit situations to be assessed by the police. It is a real plus for the canton that we do not necessarily find everywhere else in Switzerland.
PD: It is important to say that we have not waited for the last tragedies to act. Our second action plan was almost ready before the first drama in this black series. The concept once again highlights an always significant prevalence of the problem in the canton and responds through 37 measures. These are aligned with the Istanbul Convention (Editor’s note: a non -binding convention of the Council of Europe which protects women and girls from different forms of violence)as on national policies.
The Council of State does not hesitate to intervene outside the budgetary framework. He recently did it for the reception center of the Solidarité Femmes Friborg association, putting 485,000 additional francs. Next spring, we will set up the emergency telephone line accessible 24 hours a day for victims of violence.
The measures you mention are already applied in most French -speaking cantons. And the telephone permanence is a federal obligation … does Friborg only catch up?
PD: I understand the reproach of actors on the ground Who believe that the canton does not put enough means. It’s part of political life. Of the 37 measures presented, eleven are deemed priority, five of which will receive additional financial means. But that does not mean that we drop others. We will continue to strengthen the system and continue the current measures. We also focus on prevention, especially with the bilingual exhibition “Stronger than violenceWho has already touched some 20,000 young people in Switzerland. The goal is to allow increased awareness within society to no longer tolerate this form of violence and also push to act as a witness.
Another important aspect for me is the training of professionals, as Online training to pharmacists and pharmacists To help them identify cases of abuse within the couple.
But there too, Friborg was the last Canton Romand to offer this training …
SD: It must be noted that it is of a Vaudois project that it was necessary to adapt to the context specific to the various cantons as well as in German, Friborg being a bilingual canton. We did it at the same time as Valais, as well as other German -style cantons. If it is true that the canton of Friborg has lagged behind concerning the unit of medicine of violence, already identified as a priority in the 2018 concept, the work is underway for an implementation in early 2026.
Friborg can boast, on the other hand, a very good care of authors of violence by the ex-press association. Persons required by justice must follow a very complete program for managing violence during 25 sessions.
And set up an observatory for violence against women As the feminist group of the public services union requests without delay?
PD: This measure has already been discussed within the cantonal commission and has not been retained as it is in the new concept. The current system as well as the existence of the Commission already ensures solid coordination between the actors of the canton. Each year, a work of pooling the statistics of the various members of the Commission is carried out and discussed.
The canton is already doing a lot and continues to make things happen. It goes in the right direction, in my opinion. But we are not in the head of the authors. Avoid these dramas completely, we will unfortunately never get there.
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