Lifelong help for terror bereaved
20 young people who lost a parent in Paris attacks can benefit from 'war orphan' scheme
TWENTY children who lost a parent in the Paris terror attacks this month could effectively be "adopted" by the French state and given life-long support, under a system called 'Pupilles de la Nation'.
The war orphan scheme - which also applies to the families of terror attack victims - is for young people under 21 and sees the state provide them with extra protection and moral support for life, plus financial help until they finish their studies.
All the families affected by the Charlie Hebdo attack and the Jewish supermarket siege have been told about the scheme - but it is their choice whether they apply for it or not. The request is made by a parent or guardian if the child is under 18.
It can take anywhere between two months and a year for the status of 'pupille de la Nation' to be confirmed by a French court, but a spokeswoman for the Office National des Anciens Combattants et Victimes de Guerre said everything would do to help those affected through the procedure.
The "adoption" means each child would receive "extra protection from the State, on top of that provided by the family", without any transfer of authority or responsibilities from the child's legal guardian.
Financial support can cover anything from clothing and holidays to childcare costs.
Beneficiaries also get help with finding a job. Some public sector jobs are reserved for 'pupilles de la Nation' and the people covered by the scheme also fall within the 'handicapped' quota that large firms must apply.
About 150,000 people in France are 'pupilles de la Nation'. The war orphan status was introduced by Georges Clemenceau in 1917, aimed at supporting children who had lost a parent "fighting the enemy" in the First World War.
In the 1990s it was extended to the children of magistrates, gendarmes, police officers and prison guards who had died doing their job.
At the same time, it was opened up to families who had been the victim of terror attacks - and has since been used following the Saint-Michel metro attack in Paris in 1995 and the 2012 massacre by Mohamed Merah.
