Jeunes femmes portant plainte ou témoignant contre leurs proxénètes : leur expérience au sein du processus pénal québécois

The present study focuses on the experiences of the criminal justice system by a number of young women, all of whom have pressed charges or testified against a pimp. In carrying out our research, our objective was to understand the experiences of these young women during their relationship with the pimp, as well as gaining a better insight into their reasons and expectations when they turned to the criminal justice system. We also aimed to identify the effects such judicial experiences have had on their lives in general. In order to gather the young women’s perspectives and faithfully report the meaning they attribute to their experiences of criminal procedure, we carried out ten non-directive interviews with young women who had been through such an experience. First of all, our analysis shows that emotional fragility combined with a precarious financial situation constitute a risk factor of falling under the control of a pimp. Despite an existing vulnerability predisposing these women to become involved in an abusive relationship, the majority of such young women demonstrate an open-minded approach to the world of prostitution prior to meeting a pimp. Thus, their entrance into prostitution cannot be solely attributed to the influence of a pimp and seems rather to be the outcome of a combination of factors. At the beginning of the relationship, the pimp’s manipulation essentially aims to reinforce this interest in prostitution already present in several of the young women. In the case of those women who had never envisaged engaging in prostitution, a pre-existing affective dependence could lead them to be persuaded to follow this path. Whether the relationship with the pimp is professional or romantic, all the young women we met were quickly confronted with strategies of manipulation and were exposed to displays of violence aimed at subjugating them. The initial realisation of the abusive situation to which they are being subjected constitutes the key factor leading them to make the decision to leave their pimp and agree to cooperate with the police. Those who had a professional relationship with their pimp came to this decision before those in a romantic relationship with the pimp. This observation can be explained by the love which those who considered themselves to be in a romantic relationship felt for their pimp, which not only made them more vulnerable to his manipulation but also slowed all attempts to empower themselves against him. Turning to the police for help is not an obvious choice for all young women under a pimp’s control. While the influence of a caring person often plays a significant role in their decision to press charges, the decision to cooperate with criminal justice officials usually arises from their own psychological reflection concerning their situation. By pressing charges, they generally hope to get away from their pimp’s control and be protected by the legal system, giving them the necessary time to make decisions to turn their lives around. During the judicial procedure, most of these young women say they are anxious at the idea of testifying. Their apprehension is essentially linked with the fear of seeing the pimp again, along with fear of not being believed by the judge. The main reasons motivating interviewees to maintain their charges are the desire to show the pimp he no longer has any control over them and also to end this episode of their life. Their representations of the treatment they received during the criminal justice procedure are generally positive if legal officials have shown empathy towards them and if the women have been encouraged to be involved in the legal case. Thus, whether the women initiated the legal procedure themselves or not, those who feel supported by the police and criminal justice officials are more likely to maintain charges to the end of the legal procedure. Following their relationship with the pimp, the young women struggle with many consequences which affect different areas of their lives. Despite numerous psychological, physical and social repercussions, only a small minority ever follow through with a full course of therapy. Many feel they are not ready to undertake such measures, while others feel that nobody can really help them and prefer to rely on their own resilience or use alternative methods to get past this difficult experience. Those young women who receive help from their friends and family or professional organisations more rapidly perceive the beneficial effects of their involvement with the legal system. Our analysis finds that the experience of the legal system serves to reinforce a process of empowerment already initiated by a young woman when her relationship with her pimp ended. The impacts of the young women’s judicial involvement are twofold: it allows them to improve their self-esteem while also permanently cutting all contact with the pimp. However, the criminal justice system does have limits, as the experience has no impact on the young women’s life context nor, by this very fact, on their involvement in prostitution. Consequently, many young women return to their original environments once the criminal procedure is over and continue to face the conditions associated with their previous lifestyle. Moreover, the destabilizing effect associated with the judicial experience causes their psychological recovery and reorganisation of their lives to be delayed. Those who do manage to turn their lives around the fastest are those who receive support from people close to them and also those who were not in a romantic relationship with their pimp.  Key words: pimping, prostitution, criminal justice system, empowerment, stigmatisation.

Keyphrases: Prostitution, Empowerment, Stigmatisation, Pimping, Prostitution, Criminal justice system