Sexist or sexual outrage
Verified 19 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Someone followed you down the street and made obscene comments about your physique? This is a sexist or sexual insult. If you are a victim or witness of such an act, you can report it so that the perpetrator is arrested and punished. If he hasn't been verbalized immediately after the contempt has been committed, you can file a complaint for him to be tried by the criminal courts. In any case, you can ask for compensation.
FYI
In case of emergency, you can contact Rescue Police by dialing the 17 (or 112 if you live abroad). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or aphasic, you can contact 114 agents from the « Emergency 114 » mobile application or by SMS (as a last resort).
It is a sexist or sexual insult when someone imposes a talk or a sexist or sexual behavior, which creates a situation that intimidates, makes you uncomfortable or hurts you or that violates your dignity, as it is degrading or humiliating.
Example :
Sexist outrage can result in an insulting or humiliating comment about your sex (especially about the female gender). Sexual outrage can also take the form of comments, noises, gestures or proposals of a sexual nature.
Generally speaking, sexist or sexual outrage is considered a contravention.
This action may be aggravated and constitute a offense when committed:
- By a person who abuses the authority granted to him by his duties (for example, a contempt committed by the employer on an employee)
- On a minor
- On a person whose vulnerability due to age, illness, physical or psychological disability or pregnancy is apparent or known to the author
- On a person of particular vulnerability or dependence due to his financial or social situation
- By several people who act as a group
- In public transport, on board a VTC: titleContent or in a place intended for access to a means of collective passenger transport (station, airport, bus shelter, etc.)
- Due to sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim
- By a person who has already been convicted of the offense of sexual and gender contempt and who commits the same offense offense being in a state of recurrence.
Sexist or sexual outrage can be proven by any means. You can use any of the following:
- Witness Attestation (friends, colleagues, etc.)
- Written exchanges with the author of the facts (SMS, emails, etc.)
- Audio or video recordings (even without the knowledge of the perpetrator)
- Photographs of the perpetrator
- Medical certificate.
This evidence is essential if you wish to report the facts and/or file complaint.
You must be as precise as possible: all these documents must be dated.
There are several ways to report a case of gender or sexual contempt. The authorities to be prevented depend on where this offense was committed:
General scenario
The reporting devices are different depending on your age:
Major
An instant messaging (chat) allows you to dialog with a police officer or a gendarme specially trained for this type of infringement. This professional will help you in your steps and can guide you if you wish to file a complaint.
Report domestic, sexual or gender-based violence to law enforcement
FYI
At any time, the chat history may be deleted from your computer, mobile phone or tablet.
Minor
If you are a victim or witness of sexist or sexual contemptan instant messaging service (chat) allows you to report these facts to the competent authorities (police or gendarmerie):
FYI
At any time, the chat history may be deleted from your computer, mobile phone or tablet.
Following your report, an investigator will contact you and schedule an appointment to hear from you. They can refer you to a complaint.
FYI
If the facts are serious and/or there is a real possibility of their recurrence, an investigation may be opened without a complaint.
In a transport
If you are a victim or witness of a sexual or gender-based offense and you can identify the perpetrator, you have the option to alert an SNCF: titleContent, the RATP: titleContent or law enforcement officers specially trained for this type d'offense.
This reporting can take place from a specific platform.
The agents of this platform can be contacted at any time, free and anonymous.
Who shall I contact
By phone
3117
By SMS
31,177
From an application
From the application ‘Alert 3117’ download from a smartphone
Officers who have been informed of the contempt may immediately intervene to arrest the offender and the verbalize.
At work
In the course of work, the persons to whom the report is to be made are not the same in the private sector as in the public sector:
Private sector
The instances to be prevented differ depending on the perpetrator of the sexist or sexual insult:
Sexist or sexual insult committed by an employee
If the sexual or gender-based offense was committed in the course of the work, you can report the facts to the staff representatives.
In companies with less than 11 employees, these are members of the Inter-professional Regional Joint Commissions (ICRP).
In companies with more than 11 employees, the facts can be reported to the social and economic committee (CSE).
Staff representatives or CSE will inform the employer, unless the employer is the contempt.
You can also make a report to human resources, your supervisor or your employer to decide on a disciplinary sanction.
Finally, you have the possibility to alert labor inspection who will conduct an investigation and who can refer the case to the public prosecutor.
Sexist or sexual insult by employer
If your employer has committed a sexual or gender-based offense, you can report the facts to staff representatives. In companies with less than 11 employees, these are members of the Inter-professional Regional Joint Commissions (ICRP).
In companies with more than 11 employees, the facts can be reported to the social and economic committee (CSE).
You also have the option to alert labor inspection who will conduct an investigation and who can refer the case to the public prosecutor.
Public sector
You can use the reporting mechanism for violence, discrimination, psychological or sexual harassment and gender-based behavior in the public service.
This reporting system includes 3 types of procedures to be put in place by the employer:
- A procedure for the collection of reports from officers who are victims or witnesses of psychological or sexual harassment and gender-based behavior
- A procedure for referring victims to the competent services and professionals responsible for their support and support
- A procedure for referring victims or witnesses of such acts or acts to the competent authorities in order to take any appropriate protective measures and ensure that the reported facts are dealt with, in particular by carrying out an administrative investigation.
Your administration must determine the means by which you can send this alert to the competent authority. It also sets out the information and documents that you must provide in support of your report.
Every public official must be informed by the hierarchical authority to which he or she belongs, of the existence of the reporting mechanism, its mode of use and the procedures it provides for.
The system must guarantee the strict confidentiality of the information transmitted by the victim or witness during the processing of the report.
As soon as a case of harassment is reported to him and these facts are real, the administration that employs you must do everything to stop these acts. This includes a sanction for the harasser (for example, reprimand, transfer, or even dismissal).
If the perpetrator of the sexist or sexual insult has not been verbalized after the commission of the facts, you can file a complaint against him.
The complaint must be filed within:
- 1 year after the commission of the offense if the contempt constitutes contravention,
- 6 years after the commission of the offense if the contempt constitutes offense (contempt committed in transport, on a minor, on grounds of sexual orientation, etc.).
Warning
No complaints are taken into account if the perpetrator has been arrested and has received a lump sum fine. However, if you are of full age (or are represented by your legal representatives), you have the possibility of it claim damages in front of civil courts.
To file a complaint, you can go to the police station or the gendarmerie brigade of your choice. You also have the possibility to write to the public prosecutor.
On site
To file a complaint, you must go to police station or to the gendarme of your choice.
Police or gendarmerie services are obliged to register your complaint if you are a victim of a offense.
It's the public prosecutor who decides on the action to be taken on the complaint (investigation, filing without follow-up...).
When filing a complaint, you can bring a civil action against you for the offender to be ordered to pay you damages and interest.
Warning
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must accompany you so that you can become a civil party.
Throughout the procedure, you can be assisted by a lawyer.
If you don't have the financial resources to pay for this professional, you can eventually apply for legal aid.
By post
You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.
To do this, you need to send a letter to court of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.
Who shall I contact
Your mail should include the following:
- Your marital status and full contact details (address and telephone number)
- Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
- Name of the alleged perpetrator if you know him (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
- Name and address of any witnesses to the offense
- Description and provisional or definitive estimate of injury
- Your proof documents: medical certificates, work stoppages, photographs, videos, various invoices, statements...
You can use the following mail template:
File a complaint with the public prosecutor
You can send your complaint by mail or file it directly at the reception of the court.
When filing a complaint, you can bring a civil action against you for the offender to be ordered to pay you damages and interest.
Warning
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must accompany you so that you can become a civil party.
Throughout the procedure, you can be assisted by a lawyer.
If you don't have the financial resources to pay for this professional, you can eventually apply for legal aid.
The perpetrator of a sexist or sexual insult may be verbalized immediately after the commission of the facts. In this case, it is required to pay a lump sum fine.
If he is not fined after the commission of the offense, he may be sentenced by the court to other criminal sanctions.
Lump-sum fine
As a general rule, the amount of the flat-rate fine is €150.
However, it may be increased to €250 if the sexist or sexual insult has been committed:
- By a person who abuses the authority granted to him by his duties (for example, a contempt committed by the employer on an employee)
- On a minor
- On a person whose particular vulnerability due to age, illness, physical or psychological disability or pregnancy is apparent or known to the author
- On a person of particular vulnerability or dependence due to his financial or social situation
- By several people who act as a group
- In public transport, on board a VTC: titleContent or in a place intended for access to a means of collective passenger transport (station, airport, bus shelter, etc.)
- Due to sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim
- By a person who has already been convicted of the offense of sexual and gender contempt and who commits the same offense offense being in a state of recurrence.
Warning
If the perpetrator does not pay the fine within 15 days from the time it is verbalized, he will have to pay a higher amount. If he pays too late, the amount of the fine will still be increased.
Other criminal sanctions
Generally speaking, the perpetrator of a sexist and sexual offense is liable to a fine of €1,500.
When the offense is aggravated (offense against a minor, in transport, by several persons, etc.), it is a offense. In this case, the author shall be punished by 2 months' imprisonment and €3,750 of fine.
In addition to the fine to be paid, the offender may be sentenced to:
- An internship sentence (for example, an internship to prevent and combat domestic and gender-based violence)
- One community service.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
To get help in your efforts as a victim of a sexist or sexual insult
Associations to assist victims of gender-based and sexual violenceTo obtain assistance in legal proceedings against the offender
Lawyer
Definition and penalties of sexist or sexual insult (contravention)
Definition and main penalty of aggravated sexist or sexual offense (misdemeanor)
Additional penalties for aggravated sexual or sexist insult (misdemeanor)
Possibility for an SNCF or RATP officer to finalize the perpetrator of a sexist or sexual offense
Lump-sum fine applicable to the offense of sexual or gender-based contempt
Service Public
Service Public
Service Public
Ministry of Justice