“You break, you repair; you dirty, you clean; you challenge authority, you are taught to respect it. » In his general policy speech at the end of January, Gabriel Attal announced to the deputies the creation of “work of educational interest” for those under 16, “equivalent” to work of general interest and “ given more easily.” It will ultimately be a measure of “educational interest” the outlines of which were detailed in a circular sent, Tuesday, April 30, to prosecutors by the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti.
By presenting in January what was to be a new disciplinary sanction, Gabriel Attal took professionals in the legal world by surprise. The chancellery then mentioned a “very educational” system which would appear “in a bill in the first half of 2024” and be “refined at that time”. The system was finally inserted into already existing legal frameworks, in this case those of civic and citizenship training courses.
This so-called “educational interest” measure targets minors aged 13 to 16 who have committed theft or minor damage for the first time. It must involve police officers, educators of the judicial protection of youth and communities and is intended to be “a first level of criminal response”, an “additional tool” whose aim is to “prevent any lasting involvement in delinquency”.
Involvement of legal representatives
“It is a question of ensuring that these minors, often little known to the justice system, become aware of their actions and can answer for them,” explains the circular signed by Eric Dupond-Moretti.
The measure includes three components. One, called reparation, is an activity of twenty hours maximum linked to the offense committed to reflect on its consequences. Another four-hour sequence is intended to reflect on living together, and a third, educational, must be planned with the minor's school.
“The legal representatives” of the adolescent must “be involved at all stages” of the measure, of which the judicial protection of youth will also be responsible for ensuring the annual evaluation in conjunction with the courts, specifies the circular.
