2024-07-03 17:00:09
As President of UNICEF France, an organization that defends children’s rights, I have dedicated my life to protecting the rights and freedoms, in all my functions, whether elected, professional (as a magistrate) or joint, especially for children and adolescent situations. Today, the consequences of the dissolution of the National Assembly and the prospects opened up by the results of the first round of legislative elections make me fear an unprecedented setback for children’s rights in France. In light of the debates during this short campaign and the announcements that directly impact those debates, it is my duty to stand up today and express my deep concern.
The decision taken by the President of the Republic on 9 June might lead to a serious setback of those rights enshrined in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which France ratified 35 years ago. Because the future of 15 million children is at stake in these legislative elections. The continuity of public action has been compromised by successive reshuffles. Urgent public policies for children’s health, especially mental health, poverty eradication and child protection, are now at a very critical stage. The suspension of certain initiatives and commitments by the Government and the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Children, such as the Solidarity Pact and the Observatory on Unschooling, are blatant examples of this.
Stigmatized Teenagers
In this movement, children were completely absent from the debate, and harsher penal policies were announced, treating minors as adults and ignoring the basic principle that preventive measures are better than repressive measures. The introduction of the immediate court appearance procedure for minors and the elimination of minor excuses are unacceptable. Although the last in-depth reform – the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act – dates back to 2021, the prospect would represent a dangerous step backwards. I have seen many detainees, when they were minors, crushed by this type of repressive justice that does not produce any positive results unless proven otherwise. Increasing sentences may destroy lives rather than rebuild them.
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