Officially installed at the head of the B-SAFE, Major Mareva Audaire takes command of a six-gendarme unit specialized in combating intrafamilial violence in French Polynesia. Created on August 1st, this brigade has already processed nearly a hundred procedures, 40% of which involve rapes, assaults, or sexual offenses against minors. The initial tally underscores the emphasis placed on child protection, at the very heart of the missions of this unit tasked with intervening in the most serious, urgent, or sensitive cases.
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Major Mareva Audaire was officially installed as head of the Special Brigade for the Repression of Offenses Against Family and Childhood (B-SAFE), during a military ceremony. Created on August 1st in French Polynesia, this gendarmerie unit specialized in safeguarding children has already processed nearly a hundred procedures, 40% of which concern rapes, assaults or sexual offenses involving minors. The creation of this brigade fits into the deployment plan for 239 additional brigades announced by the Ministry of the Interior in 2023, also known as the ViF Brigade for “intrafamilial violence.” Initially planned for 2025, the establishment of this thematic unit was ultimately postponed to 2026.
The brigade relies on a team composed of three gendarmes already stationed in French Polynesia and three service members brought from mainland France. Among the local personnel is Major Mareva Audaire, chosen for her skills and knowledge of the territory. She previously served in Moorea as deputy commander of the territorial gendarmerie brigade. The unit totals three women and three men.
B-SAFE, “an investment in the future”
For Stéphane Brunet, the fight against violence committed against children represents a challenge that goes beyond merely prosecuting the facts. The consequences can extend into adulthood, with risks of reproducing violence, addictions, mental health disorders, or social desocialization. “For me, it’s an investment in the future,” he insists, adding that he wished to “give a very strong focus on childhood”, he explains.
But while protecting minors occupies a central place in its missions, B-SAFE also intervenes more broadly in intrafamilial violence cases presenting a particularly “grave, urgent or sensitive” character. It can then support territorial brigades in their investigations or take charge of certain cases directly, according to the needs.
