Paris pledges action against voyeurs in public swimming pool changing rooms

The Paris mairie is cracking down on ‘voyeurs’ and similar sexual assaults in its public swimming pools, after many women came forward to report the issue.

On Saturday, April 12, the mairie announced a series of new measures for pools in a bid to combat the problem, via a press release reported by BFMTV.

An audit will be launched next week in all 40 of the capital's municipal swimming pools to examine “structural weaknesses” that may facilitate these types of assault. Changing rooms will be one of the focal points, it said.

“Women must be able to feel safe in all public facilities, especially in places of well-being and sport such as swimming pools,” added the press release.

Social media reports

It comes after journalist Laurène Daycard posted on Instagram at the start of April that she had been victim of a ‘voyeurism’ sexual assault in the changing rooms at the Georges-Hermant swimming pool in the 19th arrondissement. She said that she had discovered a man filming her while she was changing.

She said that she noticed a rucksack poking out from under the changing partition next to hers, which had a small hole in it, through which she could see a smartphone camera lens. She chased the bag’s owner out of the cubicle, and managed to corner him with the help of a cleaner.

The man spent the night in police custody, she said, but she was “chilled” to find out that he had confessed to filming many other women using the same method, including “very young girls”.

Spurred by her post, many other women came forward to relate similar stories. Ms Daycard said she later found out that there had been 17 similar reports at the same swimming pool in recent months.

These reports “should not be considered as isolated cases but as a nationwide phenomenon against which urgent action is needed”, added the mairie press release.

The mairie has also launched an inquiry into the allegations.

Working groups and ‘on the ground’ measures

Deputy mayor responsible for sport, Pierre Rabadan, said that the mairie would also consider whether setting up single-sex facilities could be a possible solution.

“We are going to set up working groups so that all stakeholders, and in particular users, can give their opinion on the matter,” he told Le Parisien when asked.

Other measures are set to include: 

• The implementation of officers and staff who will inspect the changing rooms every evening, in a bid to detect any holes that could be used for voyeurism

• Training for officers and staff in surveillance, prevention, and listening to victims

• Existing training on sexual violence will be continued

• A new poster campaign against sexist and sexual violence, which will be visible in sports centres including public swimming pools.

The mairie also said that it will alert and work with the government and other municipalities to help escalate and combat the issue nationwide as well as in Paris.