Overview
- The Défenseure des droits, Claire Hédon, published the annual report with Children’s Defender Éric Delemar after consulting more than 80 organizations and hearing over 1,600 young people.
- The report finds severe resource shortages in youth justice and child‑protection services that weaken prevention and support for vulnerable minors.
- Investigators document degrading living conditions in detention and too few hours of schooling, concluding that incarceration does not ensure reintegration.
- Authors say minors lack clear information about their rights and that their specific vulnerability is not consistently considered throughout the penal process.
- The report warns that efforts to toughen juvenile justice undermine the special regime for minors, noting the Constitutional Council struck down parts of the May 2025 Attal law, and it advances 25 reforms prioritizing education, prevention, parental support and civic instruction.