Two cities in a European state have imposed a rule for children under the age of 13 who are no longer allowed to leave the house alone after 11 p.m. The new rule has already caused many complaints in the south of France.
The new rule for children under 13 has been imposed in two large cities in southern France. Minors are no longer allowed to leave the house alone after 11 p.m. If they are caught by the police on the street, they will be immediately taken to their parents, who will be fined 150 euros.
The mayors of the cities of Nice and Beziers insist that the new regulation is intended to reduce criminality among minors.
Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, stated that more than half of the people arrested recently are minors: “52% of the 1,000 people arrested recently are under 18 years old, most under 16 years old. This decree is therefore well founded, it was not issued randomly. The decision is supported by statistics provided by /../the Ministry of the Interior, the Chief of Police, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Prefect”.
Last summer’s riots in French cities fueled concerns about youth violence after it emerged that many of those who torched cars and destroyed shops, schools and town halls were under 18, with some as young as 11.
In Marseille, where a record number of murders were committed last year, 47, the authorities discovered that many teenagers are members of drug gangs armed with assault rifles and pistols.
“I think that 13-year-olds have nothing to look for on the street after 11:00 p.m. Since this decree has not been invalidated by the judges, it means that it is a timely one. And if the police do not apply the mayor’s decision, then we will talk about a failure of the authorities. I will personally check the policemen”, said Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice.
However, the rule has an exception and children under 13 can leave the house after 11 pm accompanied by an adult. The measure will remain in force at least until the end of September. In Beziers, almost 3,000 residents contested the mayor’s decision in the street, but without effect.
