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Why a French book on sex and incest is in the news?

The book triggered a #MeTooIncest movement

lafamiliaf Bok cover of La Familia Grande | Penguin Random House

Olivier Duhamel, a prominent political scientist, was in 2021, in the midst of a sex scandal that shocked France. He confessed to having sexually abused his stepson when he was in his early teens. Duhamel had been accused by his step-daughter Camille Kouchner of abusing her twin brother when they were teens.

His stepson then aged 45, pressed charges against Duhamel in January. Duhamel had admitted to the allegations. This led the French authorities to open an investigation against Duhamel. However, no legal action could be taken against him as the statute of limitations had expired.

As per French law, sex between an adult and a child under 15 is statutory rape, punishable by 20 years imprisonment. It is also illegal for an adult to have sex with a relative aged under 18. 

Details of Duhamel's abuse of Camille Kouchner's twin brother and other scandals of the illustrious family can be found in Kouchner's book La Familia Grande. The book, written in French was released in January 2021. The English version translated by Adriana Hunter came out on May 14 in the UK.

In an interview with the Guardian, Kouchner said, “My book came at a time when we were finally ready as a society to confront this issue.” the book, in a way, triggered a #MeTooIncest movement with several incest survivors opening up about their experiences.

Another book that created chaos in French society was the 2021 book 'Consent' by Vanessa Springora, in which she wrote about how she was at the age of 13 groomed and abused by the well-known French author Gabriel Matzneff, who was 50 at the time. 

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