MPs consider youth curfew measures

MORE French towns and cities could follow the lead of Nice and impose a night-time curfew on under-13s.

MPs in the National Assembly will today debate a law that would give each department the freedom to impose bans on children going outside between 23.00 and 5.00 without parental supervision.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux brought up the idea of a curfew for young delinquents last November - and the city of Nice was given the all-clear to impose one last month.

Under the current system, individual mayors have the right to impose limited curfews in their town or village, but they must prove that the measure is necessary.

The new law would allow the préfecture to impose a wider ban at departmental level. It would apply to all under-13s - not just those already known to police.

Children seen breaking the curfew will be driven home. Repeat offenders would be recorded on a database and, in the most serious cases, parents could lose the right to certain benefits.

Photo:Damien Roué