France extends no time limit for prosecution to serious crimes against children, beyond crimes against humanity
France’s parliament voted 93-51 to remove time limits for prosecuting the most serious crimes against minors. PHOTO: ANADOLU
France’s National Assembly on Thursday voted to abolish the statute of limitations for the most serious crimes committed against minors, approving an amendment during debate on a child protection bill.
The amendment, introduced by Green lawmaker Arnaud Bonnet, was approved by 93 votes to 51.
The measure extends imprescriptibility, previously reserved under French law for crimes against humanity, to a range of serious offenses committed against children.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin supported the amendment during the parliamentary debate but warned it could face constitutional challenges.
According to the amendment’s explanatory memorandum, the reform is intended to address the long delays with which many victims of child abuse report offenses because of trauma, fear, shame or psychological control by perpetrators.
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The amendment would remove time limits for prosecuting a range of serious crimes against minors, including rape, torture, kidnapping, human trafficking and certain war crimes committed against children.
It would also abolish France’s existing “sliding limitation periods” mechanism, under which the time limit for prosecuting certain sexual crimes against children could be extended only if the same offender committed another offense against a different child before the original limitation period expired.
The amendment also provides that civil claims for damages arising from offenses subject to imprescriptibility would no longer be subject to limitation periods, although such claims would expire upon the death of the alleged offender.
The measure was adopted during the assembly’s examination of the child protection bill and will continue through the legislative process.
