The association *Innocence en Danger* is once again raising the alarm over the sale in France of sex dolls modelled on children—products that trivialise and encourage paedophile behaviour.

A Battle Long Fought

Since 2020, *Innocence en Danger* has repeatedly reported these disturbing practices and appealed to the relevant authorities. Despite open letters sent in 2020 and again in 2024, official responses have been marked by troubling silence.

Thanks to the efforts of MEP Jean-Lin Lacapelle, platforms such as CDiscount and Amazon France were forced to withdraw these obscene products from sale in 2020. 

Yet the issue persists. Similar products, replicating the size and facial features of children, have now surfaced on the online marketplace SHEIN.

A New Concern: Shein’s Arrival at BHV

The controversy deepens as the Chinese fast-fashion giant seeks to open a physical outlet at BHV in Paris, despite its involvement in the online sale of childlike sex dolls. 

This raises a serious ethical and legal concern. In France, normalising child sexual abuse through such products is unacceptable and carries grave societal consequences.

Under Article 227-23 of the French Criminal Code, the manufacture, sale, or distribution—by any means—of pornographic representations of minors constitutes a criminal offence punishable by up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine, particularly when committed online.

An Urgent Call to Action

Innocence en Danger has referred the matter to the Public Prosecutor in accordance with Articles 40 and 40-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The association is calling for immediate measures to:

- Permanently remove these products from the French market 

- Prohibit their resale in any form 

- Prevent Shein from opening at BHV while it continues to sell such items 

The organisation also supports extending government oversight to all online platforms, imposing strict sanctions—including a possible ban on Shein in France in the event of repeat offences—and reinforcing efforts to hold platforms accountable for complicity in such sales. 

As the High Commissioner for Children has emphasised, these dolls constitute child pornography under French law and have no place in a society committed to protecting minors.

Child protection must never be sacrificed on the altar of commerce.

Letter to the Public Prosecutor 

To:

Public Prosecutor 

Court of Justice of Saint-Etienne 

Place du Palais de Justice 

42022 Saint-Etienne

Paris, 25 January 2024

Subject:Report – Sale of Sex Dolls Resembling Children

Dear Public Prosecutor,

In my capacity as President of the association *INNOCENCE EN DANGER*, whose mission is to protect and defend children from all forms of violence, I feel compelled to draw your urgent attention, via our legal hotline, to a deeply troubling situation that endangers the safety of children throughout France.

Our organisation has received alarming reports from multiple sources, including Member of European Parliament Mr. Jean-Lin Lacapelle, that Casino Group, through its subsidiary website *CDiscount*, has engaged in the sale of “realistic blow-up dolls” explicitly modelled on children (see Attachment 1). These products, which closely resemble children in both size and appearance, risk normalising and even encouraging paedophilic behaviour.

It is important to note that, thanks to decisive interventions by Mr. Lacapelle, these obscene items were already removed from the platforms *CDiscount* and *Amazon France* in 2020 (Attachment 2). Disturbingly, the same vendors appear to be once again offering these products, even promoting them through discounts and flexible payment plans.

Given the clear and ongoing threat these items pose, urgent action is required to remove them permanently from the market and to prohibit any future attempts at their sale or promotion.

Pursuant to Articles 40 and 40-1 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure, it is incumbent upon your office to investigate these matters fully and to take appropriate measures to uphold the physical and psychological safety of children, recognising the inherent danger and illegality of these sexualised items.

I respectfully request to be informed of any proceedings or protective measures decided upon in this case, in accordance with Article 40-2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter and for your commitment to safeguarding children.

Yours respectfully,

Homayra SELLIER 

President and Founder 

Association Innocence en Danger