There is a problem with youth violence in some parts of France. Robberies, attacks, burning of property and even murders are events that certain cities or parts of some cities have faced in recent months. There is such a problem that there are places that impose curfews on minors.

However, there is someone who imposed a curfew in 2004… and this ban has continued since then.

Curfew for 20 years. In the past, France declared a curfew at certain times. An example of this is the Paris riots of 2005 or last year’s controversies in the context of the Nahel case. However, there is a city that has renewed its curfew every year for 20 years. This is Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town in the Nice region where a curfew has been imposed on children under 13 since 2024.

Between 23.00 and 06.00, children under the age of 13 will not be able to go out without an adult in the city center or in the Val Fleuri and Cros de Cagnes areas. Mayor Louis Nègre evaluates this measure positively, stating that “no young people who violated the curfew have been arrested since 2010” and thinks that his city is the safest city in France. It even states that if a minor was found at that time, “parents could be subject to criminal prosecution.” Of course, increasing the veto right for those under the age of 16 is not considered because the results they achieve are thought to be very good.

An unsustainable situation. Although there are many cities where a curfew will be imposed, one of the most striking examples occurred in the town of Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe, in the French Caribbean archipelago. In recent weeks, local media have reported numerous cases of violence across the region, with at least three murders taking place within a few days of each other: two for robbery and another in still unclear circumstances.

Authorities estimate an almost 30 percent increase in armed robberies between 2022 and 2023; That’s six times more murders, nine times more attempted murders, and 20 times more armed robberies than the national average.

A mayor who isn’t Mad Max. This alarming situation led the Minister of Internal Affairs himself to decide on a two-month curfew for those under the age of 18. They will need to be home after 8pm. Harry Durimel is the mayor of the capital of Guadeloupe. He is a left-wing environmentalist who welcomed the news, which followed a loud complaint that drew the attention of children’s parents and exposed the saturation of the police force.

In fact, he himself was on the verge of collapse and threatened to resign to protect his health, stating that he was “a determined mayor, but not Mad Max.”

Others think this too. Apart from Cagnes-sur-Mer, other French towns have also imposed or are considering curfews. An example of this is Robert Ménard, a politician close to the far-right mayor of Béziers, who declared a curfew for children under 13 from 11pm to 6am. This is something that the center-right mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, will also implement, and other towns such as Compiègne or Perpignan are also proposing it.

Returning to Pointe-à-Pitre after the curfew, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that a “cleaning operation” will be carried out against drugs and weapons next month. The aim is to create a new security situation in Guadeloupe, similar to that previously implemented in other cities and which, according to the organization, “works well and reduces crime”.

It remains to be seen how these measures, which are ultimately still an overreaction to a hopeless situation, will work.

Image | UK Home Office, Massimo Catarinella

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