Loire Atlantique. She wants to install mailboxes to free the words of abused children

“If you can’t say it, write it down.” This slogan is the very foundation of the national association The butterfliescreated in 2019 by its president Laurent Boyet, himself victim of sexual abuse in its youth, and supported by personalities like Pierre-Richard Where Cyril Hanouna.

Objective: mesh the mailbox department

She established herself in the Nantes vineyard in 2021, through Veronique Goudeta resident of La Haye-Fouassiere who is the department head. Since then, this mother of two children, particularly touched by the mission of the Butterflies, has multiplied the steps and meetings to mesh the territory of mailboxes.

“Abused children are still forbidden to speak, but not to write”

Objective: to help children at free their speech of the abuse of which they are victims. “These children are still forbidden to speak, but not to write”, contextualizes Véronique. “Hence the importance of being able to install these mailboxes in extracurricular structures and sports halls”.

Places frequented by young people, therefore, and in which one can find small corners behind closed doorsfor discreetly post a cry for help.

“It would also be very important in schools, but we don’t yet have approval to do it,” she regrets.

“It takes a long time to convince”

Véronique is convinced of the merits of such a device, hence her dismay when she counts the number of mailboxes already installed in the Nantes vineyardwhere she lives, and more broadly in Loire Atlantique. “It’s simple, there is none at the moment,” she regrets.

So how to explain it? “It takes a long time to convince, especially since it requires validation from the city council for schools and sports clubs, the approval of the Department for colleges and the Region for high schools”.

How it works ?

But above all, the system is now based on thefinancial and human investment by communities. Because being since the 1^er september partner of town hallsthe association asks them to sign an agreement and to contribute up to €250 for the installation of a mailbox (note that thanks to a subsidy from the Ministry of Sports, there is nothing to pay for the clubs).

They then all need to find a resource person within their workforce, who will be trained by the association and then responsible for explaining the operation of the device to the children. Then another (or the same), called a mail relief worker who, as the name suggests, has to go see at least twice a week if there are letters to then forward them to the association.

All letters are analyzed

These letters are all analyzed by volunteersspread over 5 Papillon mail analysis centers, whose profession is subject to the professional secrecyI. “Depending on the seriousness, the association seizes the collection cells of worrying information (Crip) or the public prosecutors of the courts for the most worrying words”, explains Véronique Goudet.

And for less serious cases, but which must obviously also be taken seriously, it is up to town halls, directors of establishments and presidents of clubs to solve the problems mentioned, thanks to the advice of the professionals of the association of course.

“A matter of will”

All cases of abuse are therefore affected by the device, whether they are sexual violenceof the physical violence and or moralsfrom harassmentfrom cyber harassment, racketeering… “These mailboxes can save lives! So yes, it requires commitment, but for me it’s a question of will,” argues Véronique Goudet.

There is already a national telephone number, the 119intended for child victims of violence. But for the volunteer who was “very impacted by this subject and chose to make it a strength”, the mailboxes of the association Les Papillons are complementary :

There, the children do not have to speak, it is easier for some to write. And it’s also us who come directly to them, offering them this lifeline.

Call for volunteers

In her mission, Véronique Goudet is supported by an assistant referent and two other volunteers. Which is not much for an entire department.

The head of Loire-Atlantique therefore also calls, beyond the structures that could be interested in the device to contact her so that she can explain it in more detail, to possible goodwill ready to invest. by their side.

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