Guitar and maraca eggs in hand, Tappo and Zaza enter on the toes of their clown shoes into the waiting hall of the Pediatric Reception Unit for Children in Danger (UAPED) in Orléans.
In red noses and colorful costumes, the actors from Le Rire doctor, their real names Mattia Furlan and Sophie Jude, begin their contact with Emma (first name changed), 6 years old, before the start of her care within the service .
“If she applauds, that means we have our chances for a career in Las Vegas, on the other hand if she sulks in front of our show, it’s certain that we’ll end up in Vierzon,” jokes Mattia.

The clowns Tappo (Mattia Furlan) and Zaza (Sophie Jude) from the association “Le Rire Médecin” perform in the UAPED unit (Pediatric reception units for children in danger) of the Orléans University Hospital, the October 16, 2024 / Guillaume SOUVANT / AFP
A few minutes earlier, the pair had made a transmission with the unit’s medical secretary to find out the reason for this child’s arrival.
The explanation is short and concise: “Sexual assault committed by her grandfather, she is accompanied by her parents”.
From this single indication, the two clowns must now adapt their way of approaching the game with the little girl before she enters the hearing room where a police officer will be responsible for taking her testimony.

The clowns Tappo (Mattia Furlan) and Zaza (Sophie Jude) from the association “Le Rire Médecin” perform in front of a child in the UAPED unit (Pediatric reception units for children in danger) of the University Hospital of Orléans, October 16, 2024 / Guillaume SOUVANT / AFP
Founded in 2013, the Orléans hospital center service provides multidisciplinary care for children and adolescents who are victims of intra- and extra-familial abuse: here, psychologists, doctors, nurses, gendarmes and social workers work hand in hand on a daily basis. .
“Our objective is to carry out as many procedures as possible over the same time and place so that the child has to repeat his story as few times as possible, because these are often quite traumatic stories”explained Barbara Tisseron, forensic doctor and pediatrician responsible for UAPED, during an interview with AFP, conducted in June.
For ten years now, the medico-legal team has worked in close collaboration with the 13 laughing clowns in the region, on an initiative from the manager.

The clowns Tappo (Mattia Furlan) and Zaza (Sophie Jude) from the association “Le Rire Médecin” perform in the UAPED unit (Pediatric reception units for children in danger) of the Orléans University Hospital, the October 16, 2024 / Guillaume SOUVANT / AFP
“Clowns and me are a love story spanning over 25 years”she says with an emotional smile. She remembers her first cooperation with the association created in 1991, when she was then head of clinic in Bondy in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Involving actors before and after the treatment of children and adolescents within the UAPED in Orléans appeared obvious to the pediatrician.
“Before becoming child victims, they are children who have the right to a time out from their suffering, a time of hope and a time of good treatment”she maintains.
Assess emotional state
Fuschia dress with strawberry and polka dot prints on the back, Sophie Jude, who joined Le Rire doctor more than twenty years ago, adds the final touch to her costume by placing a pink cap on her head.

The clown Zaza (Sophie Jude) from the association “Le Rire Médecin” performs in front of a child in the UAPED unit (Pediatric reception units for children in danger) at the Orléans University Hospital, October 16, 2024 / Guillaume SOUVANT / AFP
Unlike their interventions in pediatric departments, where the objective is to provoke laughter or wonder among hospitalized children, the role of clowns at UAPED is “to try to relax the child before his hearing but also to assess his emotional state and that of those accompanying him”explains Sophie.
“Given the work carried out by UAPED, we had to leave aside the classics of the duo of clowns who bicker and pretend to fight, in favor of a bubble of gentleness and complicity”confirms Mattia Frilan.
After this first contact, the pair provides a summary of their exchange with the child to the healthcare team, for whom this feedback is valuable clues on how to approach the victim.

A poster “Audition in progress, don’t make noise, Thank you” at the UAPED unit (pediatric reception units for children in danger) at the Orléans University Hospital, October 16, 2024 / Guillaume SOUVANT / AFP
“Their presence helps to reduce the pressure and create a bond between each person involved in the process of welcoming children”underlines Marie-Laure Toulmé, nurse in the unit, before recalling that often, the smallest “will remember the moment with the clowns rather than the somewhat difficult moment of the audition or the exam”.
At UAPED, with more than twenty members including clowns, “everyone is a link in the chain that this little family represents”which allows the child, when leaving the service, to touch “the beginning of resilience”.