Alexandra Castellon, first deputy mayor of Castelfranc, a small village in the Lot department of southwestern France, has arranged for residents to file domestic violence complaints directly at the town hall instead of only at a gendarmerie station.
Castellon partnered with the gendarmerie of Puy-l'Évêque to make this possible. She said victims often see filing a complaint at a gendarmerie as an enormous obstacle to overcome.
A personal experience behind the initiative
Castellon said she has witnessed this difficulty repeatedly, both as a victim herself and among women in her rural area. She said the region has fewer support associations, victims often live far from services, and couples sometimes share a single car, which becomes another obstacle when a partner exerts control. She said many victims feel like they are shouting into a void, and that domestic violence affects every social class.
Castellon, in her fifties, returned to live in the village where she grew up and decided to get involved in local politics, as her father, mother and grandfather had done before her. She said that in a small village, at some point you have to do your part. She and Mayor Franck Provence want the town hall to become a place where victims can be heard and directed toward protection, said Castellon, who is a mother and holds the culture and equality portfolio on the council.
Gendarmerie agreed within weeks
Just weeks after being elected, Castellon proposed to the Puy-l'Évêque gendarmerie that complaints for domestic violence be taken at the town hall. She said the gendarmerie agreed immediately. Castellon, who works as an actress, will act as the liaison between victims and gendarmes: she said she will call the gendarmerie, wait with victims, and stay nearby during the filing of a complaint so victims feel safe.
Castellon said local officials have a responsibility to make the process easier, noting that while cities have many support associations, rural areas like hers have only a handful. She said walking through the door of a town hall can be easier than going straight to a gendarmerie.
Help extended beyond the village
The scheme initially covers Castelfranc residents, but Castellon said she will help people from neighboring communes too. She said she would drive a victim to the gendarmerie herself and wait in the hallway if needed, since taking that step alone often means sitting in the car for half an hour before ringing the doorbell. Castellon also holds an elected position with ERRE, the Relais de l'Égalité.
Training and funding plans
The initiative is part of a program run by the Association des Maires Ruraux de France, which trains local officials to combat domestic violence. Castellon said domestic violence is only the visible part of an iceberg, with psychological abuse beneath it that can be just as devastating even without physical violence. She will soon take training to help her recognize signs that victims try to hide.
Castellon said her next task will be meeting departmental councillors and members of parliament to secure more funding for local associations. When she joined the council, she proposed offering emergency housing under renovation to the association Solidarité Femmes 46 for a small rent. She said the association told her it could not afford even that reduced rent, so she decided to find the money elsewhere and offer the housing regardless of the cost.
