New Year’s Eve passes ‘quietly’

NEW Year’s Eve was quiet “with no major incidents” according to the Interior Minister, who has been criticised by the Opposition for a “minimalist” report on the night.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux has not published figures for cars burned during the night (a new year tradition for criminals) because he believes the annual toll is turning into a competition.

Publishing figures just gives a kind of target for criminals to beat, he believes, having refused to publish similar figures for car burning on July 14 last year.

Nonetheless, the minister said that 501 people were questioned by police during the night, compared to 405 the previous year.

Socialist Party spokesman on security Jean-Jacques Urvoas said: “The Interior Minister’s press statement was minimalist”, adding he should have made “a clear assessment” of the night.

Opposition deputy Manuel Valls said: “It is dangerous in a democracy to give the impression of hiding reality and truth. What justification does the minister have for hiding the figures for burned cars?”

Despite Hortefeux’s assurances, the French press listed several events during the night including a Danish tourist killed on a pedestrian crossing in Paris; also in the capital, a Russian woman raped and beaten up and a young man left in a critical condition after being stabbed during an argument in Rennes.

Mr Hortefeux said there was no intention to “hide” the burned car figures and that an annual summary would be published later this month.

Photo: flickr_timm williams