In cases of danger to life for teaching staff, should we go beyond educational measures against minors? This is the question that arises after the attempted attack in Rennes this Wednesday. As a reminder, a 12-year-old student, already known for behavioral problems, threatened an English teacher in a college with a knife, without hurting her, and was hospitalized after a psychiatric examination.
Simply educational measures
“I was stunned,” reacted Robert Ménard, speaking to Sonia Mabrouk this Thursday morning. “But above all, what do you do with this kid? Besides, she is less than thirteen years old, which means that there is only an educational response,” underlines the various right-wing mayor of Béziers, guest of La Grande interview Europe 1-CNews. “Of course, educational measures are necessary. But all cases are different and I think that sometimes we should give judges – whenever there are kids under 13 – the possibility of not following the law today which requires you to provide an educational response,” he said.
For Robert Ménard, faced with violence that occurs at younger and younger ages and is “more and more radical”, we must review the principle of minority. As a reminder, justice considers that a minor under the age of 13 who commits an offense is not capable, in principle, of measuring the scope of his act. This is a presumption of non-discernment in order to protect the youngest, according to an order from 1945. Under the age of 13, he cannot therefore be found guilty of an offense. “And the principle of minority which means that you systematically cut the sentence in two between 16 years and 13 years, in a certain number of cases, should not be”, concludes the mayor of Béziers.
Psychiatric expertise will decide on legal action for the Rennes schoolgirl. The investigation rules out at this stage any radicalization of the teenager. “There is no evidence to this effect,” says the Rennes public prosecutor.