Skip to main content

Support

In addition to health problems, the repercussions of psychotrauma can place you and your loved ones in disabling situations in other areas of your life, including professional, financial, social and intimate life. As in the case of post-traumatic stress disorder, professionals and peers can help you.

As each person's experience is unique, the people you meet will vary according to your situation. Here, we present some of the major players who may be involved, such as victim support associations. However, this list is not exhaustive. You will find additional resources related to the type of event you have experienced and your situation in our thematic files.

If you are a victim of a criminal offence, you can also consult the Parcours-victimes.fr website, which presents the resources available at different stages (safety, legal proceedings, compensation, etc.).

Contents
Victim support associations: legal, social and/or psychological support.
The Victims' Guarantee Fund: compensation and support
Point-justice: access to rights
Victims' associations: mutual aid and collective action
MIVILUDES: prevention and support in the face of sectarian aberrations
Other useful links and resources

Victim support associations: legal, social and/or psychological support.

The professionals (lawyers, social workers, psychologists) in these associations offer free, personalized, local support. They can provide you with psychological support, and inform you about your rights and possible compensation. They can also assist and support you throughout the legal process, should you wish to lodge a complaint. Some associations deal with all situations, while others are more specialized.

Associations in the France Victimes network

The "France Victimes" Federation brings together 130 victim support associations with at least one general victim support activity. These associations are all approved by the Ministry of Justice, and benefit from the training and other initiatives offered by France Victimes. Find your nearest association on the France Victimes website.

Specialized associations

These associations are more specifically involved in supporting certain situations, such as violence against women, exile or child abuse. Some have been approved by the Ministry of Justice and/or are supported by public bodies that guarantee the seriousness of their work.
Find the list of organizations approved by the Ministry of Justice in the directory of approved victim support associations.

116 006 (mainland France) or +33 1 80 52 33 76 (from overseas territories)

If you feel you have been the victim of a crime or natural disaster, the Ministry of Justice has set up this toll-free number, open 7 days a week (9am-8pm), 365 days a year. You can be listened to and helped by a professional in real time, while respecting your anonymity.

Victim support associations: psychological violence, sexual assault, psychological trauma

The Victims' Guarantee Fund: compensation and support

The financial consequences can be considerable for you and your loved ones. In addition to medical and social assistance schemes, or possible damages for loss suffered in legal proceedings, you can also file a claim with the Fonds de garantie des victimes (FGTI) (Victims' Guarantee Fund) if you are the victim of acts of terrorism, criminal offenses, traffic accidents where the perpetrator is uninsured or unidentified, or other damage (insurance failure, hunting accident, mining risk).

In France, the FGTI is responsible, as part of national solidarity, for compensating for the repercussions of the event on your current and future daily life, both in terms of your health and your economic situation. The aim is to contribute to your reconstruction by providing financial assistance to cover your daily needs in connection with the event. The FGTI will also pay certain expenses directly on your behalf, such as expert appraisal fees and funeral expenses. It can also offer you personalized services free of charge, such as a coach to help you retrain for a new career.

Find out more about compensation from the Victims' Guarantee Fund on their website and Youtube channel.

Since 2022, the Victims' Guarantee Fund and Cn2r have been working together to improve the quality of the support offered to victims.

Point-justice: access to rights

Point-justice centers are free reception and information points, open to all, although some may be reserved for specific groups such as young people. A local service, they are dedicated to access to the law, and can provide information or advice on legal or administrative problems. They are located in various places, such as local social action centers or France services.

You'll be able to meet a number of legal professionals and advisors, including lawyers, notaries, legal experts from associations, delegates from the Défenseur des Droits, and more.

Find your nearest point-justice: http: //www.annuaires.justice.gouv.fr/annuaires-12162/les-point-justice-34055.html

Getting help: law, justice, victim support associations

Victims' associations: mutual aid and collective action

Victims' associations bring together people who have experienced the same or similar events. They offer support and a listening ear to people who have shared the same experiences.

These associations can also represent victims' interests to public authorities. In this respect, some of these associations are able, under certain conditions, to act as civil parties in the event of a trial.

National federations bring together a number of victims' associations and can provide you with information on your rights, help you take collective action at judicial and political level, or guide you in setting up your own association.

MIVILUDES : prevention and support in the face of sectarian aberrations

Some people are ill-intentioned and claim to be helping you to achieve their aims (extortion, abuse of weakness, etc.). It is therefore important to find out about the purpose and operation of the association or organization you wish to contact.

Consult the Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires (Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Aberrations ) in case of doubt, to get its opinion, identify the contacts who can inform you in your region, or take action if you are confronted with a situation suggesting a sectarian risk.

Mental health, psychotrauma help tspt, victim support, trauma, aggression, violence

Other useful links and resources:

  • Useful numbers
  • Learn about the institutional players involved in helping victims in France.
  • Victim support news
Go to main content