URSAVS – histoire et politique d’une intercontenance réussie

The regional unit for the care of perpetrators of sexual violence (URSAVS) was established in Lille in 2009, under to the impetus of Doctor Tiphaine Séguret, and under the aegis of the Regional Health Agency of the department of Hauts-de-France. It is hosted by the University Hospital of Lille. This unit was born out of the urgent need to establish and coordinate specific care services including psycho- and sex-criminological dimensions, at the crossroads of mental health service and judicial entities. Originally destined for those who had been convicted of sexual offences and who were being released from prison, this unit has diversified in many ways, as the many cases and problems entrusted to it were discovered. Operating today in the realms of pediatrics, care of the elderly, and including the National Education system, URSAVS has paved the way for a fundamental reflection on the methods and practices of care specific to perpetrators of sexual violences. Its results in the prevention of recidivism after 5 years (1%), demonstrate the lasting effectiveness of its paradigm of care, especially when compared to national statistics on recidivism over the same period (15% for rape, 11% for sexual assault, 12% for sexual harassment, according to the French Ministry of Justice).