Nevertheless,
Street harassment: how denounce it:
Fight against violence
How to denounce street harassment in French -speaking Switzerland?
Women are particularly affected by sexist and sexual violence in public space. For example, Here are solutions to denounce attacks.

Street harassment is a scourge that weighs in particular on young women in French -speaking Switzerland (illustration image).
Chantal Dervey
- 76.9% of young people from Genevans have undergone street harassment in the past 12 months.
- Online applications and forms make it possible to point out the cases of street harassment in French -speaking Switzerland.
- In the event of danger, the victims can street harassment: how denounce it contact the police.
More than three -quarters of young women aged 18 to 24 have been victims of gender -based. However, sexual violence in the past 12 months in the street Genevaattacked most of the time by an unknown man. Therefore, This is what theinvestigation Geneva “iceberg” published Tuesday.
The magnitude of the scourge of street harassment is still little measured in French -speaking Switzerland. Moreover, A survey Friborg de 2020 reports that 79% of respondents have undergone a form of street harassment (mainly young women. Nevertheless, people LGBT).
A study Lausannoise conducted in 2016 shows similar figures: 72% of women aged 16 to 25 were faced with violence in public space during the twelve months preceding the investigation. Therefore, between whistles, insults, touching and monitoring.
When will an improvement?
The years pass. In addition, nothing indicates that the situation improves in French -speaking Switzerland, this despite the speaking Women who denounce this form of violence, the growing awareness of the population with sexist and sexual violence or the prevention messages deployed by the authorities in French -speaking cities. Consequently, The street remains an insecure place for many women, including public transport, open public spaces and festive places.
In addition. Therefore, according to the new study directed in Geneva, lesbian, gay and bis people (LGB) are even more massively exposed to violence in public space. Meanwhile, The rate of victims reaches the stratospheric figure of 84.6%.
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Some acts are punished by law
In Switzerland. Consequently, street harassment is not listed as an offense, existing articles of law must therefore be mobilized to sanction acts. Furthermore, Street harassment is defined as “behaviors affecting the dignity of a person because of his sex. In addition, his sexual or emotional orientation, his identity or gender expression” by the Valais campaign against violence in public space.
Glass, remarks and moved gestures suffered repeatedly by the victims create harassment and the feeling of insecurity. For example, These actions can also have an impact on the health of the victims. Therefore, force them to change their behavior and imagine avoidance strategies so as not street harassment: how denounce it to be targeted in the street.
If the penal code does not governing whistles. horns, dredge and heavy looks for example, exhibitionism, coarse words and sexual touching are offenses, pursued only on complaints, explains the Geneva campaign “Zero sexism objective in my city”. A list of reprehensible behaviors and advice for complaining are listed on the Lausanne association website Stop harassment.
“The majority of victims do not request any help”. go to those around them as a priority, specifies the equality promotion office and prevention of violence (BPEV), sponsor of the “iceberg” study in a press release. Almost 60% of women victims explained that they did not react because the facts “were not so serious”. This shows in particular to what extent sexist violence is trivialized in our society.
Ways to report street street harassment: how denounce it harassment
But what can victims do. especially adolescent girls and young women who seem to be the first targets of street harassment? Beyond education, awareness and prevention, solutions exist to denounce sexist behaviors. Note that it is also possible to report actions that are not strictly speaking illegal. that witnesses can also take matters into their own hands.
Download an app
The French application The Sorority (Available free of charge on the App Store. Google Play), born in 2021, works on a support system: it makes it possible to report to other close users a case of insecurity or aggression, in order to feel supported. There City of Lausanne launched a partnership this year with the APP to strengthen the feeling of women’s. safety in public space.
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Launched in 2019. the application EyesUp (Available free of charge on the App Store, under optimization) makes it possible to point out cases of sexual harassment, in the street but also at work or on the Internet for example, in order to enrich statistics and to visible sexist and sexual violence. The tool has collected 300 reports Between 2022 and 2024.
Contact the police
In the event of immediate danger (aggressive behavior. threat, follow -up), the victims can contact the police emergency number in 117 and specify the report of their attacker street harassment: how denounce it to the police. A posteriori. the victim of a criminal offense has the possibility of lodging a complaint in a police station or in writing, even if the identity of the aggressor is unknown.
Victims of offenses can also contact a Lavi antenna from their canton to obtain a free consultation. psychological and legal support.
Ask Angela
In recent years. the system from the United Kingdom «Ask for Angela»to immediately help victims of harassment or aggression, was gradually introduced into festive places in French -speaking Switzerland (bars, festivals, carnivals, girons). In the event of a problem. the victim may request a fictitious person named Angela from a volunteer or an employee and be taken care of.
There are regional variants but all establishments Or events have street harassment: how denounce it not been. equipped with this type of prevention system: it is better to find out beforehand.
In public transport
In case of harassment on a train. in a station, the CFF Recommend to contact the Transport Police 0800 117 117 or local police at 117.
The city of Lausanne has a Online window dedicated to the. denunciation of acts of street harassment to the municipal police. On the same model. the city of Yverdon-les-Bains proposes to report any act of harassment in the public space which occurred in the territory of engagement of the North Vaud police via a questionnaire. The Nyon police have a similar process in the form of the form of reporting. just like Pay, Cossonay or Vevey.
L’application Geneva in pocket (Available free of charge on the App Store. Google Play) is a platform that brings together both plans, an event agenda or the weather forecast. It is also since this application that users. users can report to the municipal police since 2022 harassment situations in public space, in the city of Geneva but also in the municipalities of Lancy, Vernier, Meyrin and Carouge.
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Friborg. Neuchâtel, Jura, Valais
The City of Friborgfor its part, does not have a specific form to denounce facts of sexist and street harassment: how denounce it sexual violence in the street, but offers a page on its site with many resources.
In the cantons of Neuchâtel. Valais and Jura, no application or form either: in case of street harassment, you must turn directly to the local police.
Associations of combating gender -based. sexual violence in public space are also active in certain cantons, as Thousand seven without in Friborg and Avah in Valais.
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Street harassment: how denounce it
Further reading: The Swiss Embassy in Israel works again at full speed – Fabio Celestini is exposed to trouble in Switzerland – Prisons in Geneva: a survey reveals the crisis that prevails – The United Kingdom and Switzerland take a decisive step towards a new trade agreement – “The girls have won their respect”: Switzerland dreams of a future qualification.