“You break, you repair. You dirty, you clean. You challenge authority, you are taught to respect it. » During his general policy declaration at the end of January, Gabriel Attal hit the mark with this formula. While the executive has made youth a priority, the Prime Minister is preparing to make this announcement a reality.
According to our information, a circular on the measure of educational interest was sent to prosecutors this Tuesday evening by the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti. The system, already mentioned by the tenant of Matignon in January, will be the equivalent of work of general interest for minors under 16 years old. Gabriel Attal had promised implementation “as soon as the spring break returns”, i.e. next week at the latest.
“Repair activities” and “living together”
This measure of educational interest, which targets young people aged 13 to 16, is divided into three components: a concrete repair activity lasting a maximum of 20 hours. “It will be done with associations and local authorities. The activity will, if possible, be linked to the offense committed. This can be the maintenance of municipal heritage for a young person who has damaged public property,” we tell Matignon. A “4-hour reflection session on living together, the rights and duties of citizens” is also planned. Finally, “an educational and educational support action” planned with the educational establishment of the minor concerned.
The measure of educational interest will be carried out over a period of maximum six months, specifies the circular. “These measures aim to make young people responsible for the acts committed. The idea is to get to the root of the problem, to work together, in conjunction with the family, to obtain an individualized program adapted to needs,” we underline at Matignon. The device evokes civic training course or the citizenship course already provided for by law for the youngest. “This circular transmitted by the Minister of Justice will make it possible to precisely define the content of the planned activities,” we reply to Matignon.
“We target outrages, degradations”
In the Prime Minister’s entourage, we are careful to clarify that this circular is not intended to respond to the acts of violence in Viry-Châtillon (Essonne) or Châteauroux (Indre), which led to the death of two teenagers in april. “Here we target acts of first-time delinquency, such as insults, damage, tagging, these low-level offenses which pollute people’s lives.”
+ information on Gabriel Attal
On April 18, Gabriel Attal called for “general mobilization” against the violence of young people. On Monday, the Prime Minister began his consultations with political groups to discuss his proposals promising “a burst of authority”.