Public petition n°4141

Petitioner: Lionel Frédéric Ferrand

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In 2024, the Luxembourg police responded to 1,178 domestic violence incidents-nearly 100 per month, and the number is rising. In the most serious cases, 81% of the victims are women. We do a lot after the fact, but almost nothing beforehand. This petition calls for a mandatory school curriculum, starting in elementary school, on respect, equality, and consent-to tackle the root of the problem.

Explanatory Statement Domestic violence remains a daily reality in Luxembourg, and it is on the rise. In 2024, 1,178 police interventions related to domestic violence were recorded, compared to 1,057 in 2023-an average of 98 interventions per month. These interventions resulted in 287 evictions in 2024, compared to 246 in 2023. When a person had to leave the home, 87% of the perpetrators were men and 81% of the victims were women. Most of the current system intervenes after the fact: police, eviction, shelter, justice. These measures are essential, but they address the consequences, not the causes. Yet a large part of this violence is rooted in behaviors learned early on: the normalization of control and jealousy, a lack of understanding of consent, and internalized inequality between girls and boys. By ratifying the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention, Luxembourg has committed to taking action on prevention-of which education is a cornerstone. Taking action early on, with children and adolescents, is the least costly and most sustainable approach. We call for: - The integration, starting in elementary school and continuing through high school, of a structured and mandatory curriculum-tailored to each age group-that addresses mutual respect, gender equality, consent, and the recognition of power dynamics. - Training for teachers to deliver this curriculum and identify signs of violence in students' social circles. - Regular public evaluation of this program, with publication of the results, to measure its actual impact.