“Childhood was completely absent from the debates, apart from the announcement of harsher penal policies”

ANDAs President of UNICEF France, an organization that defends children’s rights, I have dedicated my life to protecting the rights and freedoms, especially of children and young people, in all my roles, whether elected, professional (as a judge) or as a member of associations. Today, the consequences of the dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale and the prospects opened up by the results of the first round of parliamentary elections make me fear an unprecedented regression of children’s rights in France. In light of the debates during this short campaign and the announcements that would have a direct impact on them, it is my duty to speak out today and express my deep concern.

The decision taken by the President of the French Republic on June 9th threatens a very sharp regression of those rights that are enshrined in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by France 35 years ago. Because the future of 15 million children hangs in the balance in these parliamentary elections. The continuity of public action has already been threatened by successive government reorganizations. Urgent public policies such as children’s health – especially mental health – the fight against poverty and child protection are currently in a very critical state. The suspension of some initiatives and commitments undertaken by the government and the inter-ministerial committee on childhood, such as the “Solidarity Pact” and the “Observatory of Out-of-School Enrollments”, are striking examples of this.

Stigmatized youth

During this campaign, childhood was completely absent from the debates, apart from the announcement of a harsher penal policy that would treat minors the same as adults, contrary to the founding principle of the primacy of preventive measures over repressive ones. As with the abolition of minors as a mitigating circumstance (in sentencing), the introduction of immediate indictment of minors is unacceptable. This perspective would constitute a dangerous step backwards, even though the last profound reform – the establishment of a criminal code for minors – dates from 2021. Even when they make mistakes, minors deserve the chance to rehabilitate and integrate into society. I have met many prisoners who, as children, were crushed by this repressive justice system, which, until proven otherwise, has not yielded any positive results. Tougher sentences risk destroying lives instead of rebuilding them.

I realize how easy it can be to constantly increase repression. Moreover, it does not seem to matter that such announcements are in fact limited in their impact on the evil they are supposed to fight. You cannot fight insecurity by stigmatizing young people. You cannot solve a country’s problems by destabilizing the justice system. These challenges to human rights threaten not only to deepen inequality, but also to irreversibly compromise the future of children. Let us imagine for a moment the dangers that would result from introducing a “national preference” in access to services: the abolition of state medical assistance (AME) for undocumented foreign nationals and therefore for their children; discrimination in access to school canteens or housing, which would further increase the number of homeless children, etc. All this would be contrary to the principles of equality that are enshrined in both the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and our Constitution.

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