Latest news with #Non-French
Metro
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Feminist hero Gisele Pelicot receives France's highest civilian honour
Global hero Gisèle Pelicot has been awarded France's highest civilian honour for her bravery during her rape and sexual assault trial. Gisèle, 72, waived her anonymity during a rape and sexual assault trial against her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men in Avignon, France. She's one of 589 people named in the list to be made knights of the Legion of Honour ahead of France's national day. Knights of the Legion of Honour are chosen by the President each year ahead of Bastille Day on July 14, which marks when the Bastille prison was stormed in 1789 during the French Revolution. Non-French citizens can also be named as members of the Legion of Honour if they have served France or upheld their ideals. Some foreign nationals who have been named as members include Martin Scorsese, Bette Davis, Vladimir Putin, and JK Rowling. Under French law, the names of victims are normally kept out of the press, but she insisted on a public trial in an attempt to expose her ex and the 50 men that he is accused of inviting to rape her. She allowed journalists to publish her full name and the court to exhibit explicit videos recorded by her husband showing men engaging in sexual intercourse with her while unconscious. Gisele has said her decisions were in solidarity with all the other women who go unrecognised as victims of sexual crimes. 'I have decided not to be ashamed, I have done nothing wrong,' she previously told the court. 'They are the ones who must be ashamed. 'I'm not expressing hatred or hate, but I am determined that things change in this society.' Gisèle attended almost every day of the three-month court case in Avignon, south-east France, and said she decided to reveal who she was so 'shame swaps sides', from the victim to the rapist. The case gained widespread international attention and sparked several protests against sexual violence, in particular sexual violence experienced by girls and women at the hands of men. Earlier this year, she was named the Most Influential Woman of 2025 by The Independent, topping a list of 50 women from across the world who 'push boundaries and break down barriers to shape the world around them'. More Trending Gisèle's lawyer, Stephane Babonneau, said his client was 'emotional' and 'humbled' to learn she had been named The Most Influential Woman of 2025. He added: 'Gisèle is honoured and wishes to dedicate this recognition to all victims, and more specifically to those who are fighting alone to get their rights and the truth acknowledged by courts. 'To these victims, who most often remain in the dark, Gisèle wishes to express her admiration, because she thinks they are the true heroes, and [to] tell [them] that they must know they will never be alone.' Since her trial concluded, she has remained out of the media. Her lawyer has said she's writing a book about her experience, which she hopes to release in 2026. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I'm a millennial – please stop sending me perimenopause memes MORE: Until I had one, I was ignorant about the reality of miscarriages MORE: Paedophile who raped a six-year-old girl to be surgically castrated
Local France
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Local France
The French documents available in digital form
Everyone living in France can use the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (ANTS) website to sort out car registration documents, driving licences, and French passports and ID documents; while the Ameli portal deals with all things related to health and the miraculous carte vitale ; and Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) handles family matters. But, there's a world of difference between sorting out your administration matters online, which is very useful, and having access to a digital version of your important documents, which can be even more useful. Currently, national ID cards, driving licences, carte vitales , and – most recently – vehicle registration logbooks, known as cartes grise , can be held in digital as well as physical form. Advertisement They're all part of a push to streamline day-to-day administrative processes, and make demonstrating one's identity easier and more secure - importantly, however, they're intended as an extra to physical documents, not a replacement. But, not everyone can get their digital hands on these digital documents. Most, for now, are only available to French citizens, who hold a latest-generation credit card-style ID card, who have set up a France Identité account. So, which ones can legally resident foreigners in France access, and which will they have to wait for? First, however, a reminder. Digi-documents are available in addition to the physical versions, rather than as a replacement. They're not compulsory so if you can't access them, you don't have a smartphone or you just prefer the paper/plastic versions then you can stick with that. Carte vitale A digital version of the all-important health card has been available to French citizens for some time – and has been rolled out to some foreigners too. READ ALSO New digital carte vitale extended to foreigners in France Who - The rollout is on a geographical basis – it is currently available in 46 of France's 96 mainland départements; Ain, Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Bouches-du-Rhône, Cantal, Calvados, Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Drôme, Eure, Hautes-Alpes, Haute-Loire, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Jura, Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Manche, Marne, Mayenne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nièvre, Orne, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Sarthe, Savoie, Seine-Maritime, Var, Vaucluse, Vendée, Vosges, Yonne, and Territoire de Belfort. Eventually, it will be rolled out to the whole country. Non-French citizens in France must be resident in one of the above départments, but they can only access the CV app if they have either; A carte de séjour issued by France A Belgian ID card A Spanish ID card A Portuguese ID card There are plans to expand these categories, hopefully by the end of 2025. Advertisement In order to use it, you will also need to have already created an online Ameli account , and to have a smartphone that is at least version 9 for an Android or 16 for an iPhone. Driving Licence The digital licence can be used during traffic stops – and it is intended that it will, in time, be possible to integrate this data into a document that allows holders to rent vehicles online. Who - Sorry, legally resident foreigners in France – this one is, currently, only available to French citizens who have a French driving licence. Optional digital driving licences have been available to French citizens and dual nationals since February 2024. They are accessed using the France Identité app, which at present only allows people to register if they are French citizens and have the new bank-card sized ID card. There are plans to expand these criteria, potentially by the end of 2025 although there is no confirmed date. READ ALSO Who can use France's new digital driving licence? Advertisement Carte grise The vehicle registration document - commonly known as the carte grise - is a new addition to the virtual documents . It allows drivers to present their documents if required during traffic stops, but means that they don't have to keep vital paperwork in the car. Who - As it is with driving licences, so it is with vehicle registration documents. These are currently only available to anyone able to use French digital ID verification service France Identité – and that means you need to have French citizenship. French ID Only French citizens can have a French ID card, or a carte nationale d'identité (CNI) to give it its full name. Other French cards such as the carte de séjour residency card can be used to prove your identity, but they are not in themselves ID cards. If you have gone through the process of gaining French nationality, you will be informed of the process of getting your ID card. You will also be advised about France Identité. Advertisement Okay, you keep mentioning France Identité – what's that? France Identité is an app created by the French government that provides a secure short-cut to access official websites. It also allows you to provide a digital proof of your ID and/or address when required, and offers an online ID service that means you can provide proof of your identity without having to divulge personal details to an external website. READ ALSO What is France Identité and can foreigners use it? And you can use it to access digital versions of several key French documents - with others set to follow in due course. The app is available now as either iOs or Android versions. The good news It's not all bad news for non-French residents in France. An Interior Ministry spokesman previously told The Local that the plan is to open up France Identité to people who are legally resident in France but are not French citizens 'by the end of 2025'. That will be useful, because it's likely that the dematerialised option will be expanded to various other documents are France continues its march towards digitisation. Although just to recap - these digi versions are optional added extras, they are not compulsory.
