Following the urban violence which took place in Strasbourg during New Year 2025, the prefect sent a letter to the parents of the juvenile delinquents arrested. He holds them responsible and threatens them with sanctions if they do not contact social services. And even plans to re-examine the residence permit of foreign parents.
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The new prefect of Bas-Rhin, Jacques Witkowski, kept his word. He, who announced at the end of December that he wanted to blame the parents of minors responsible for urban violence in the New Year, sent them a letter, according to an AFP report.
“Given the seriousness of the facts in question, I question your ability to fulfill your parental obligations satisfactorily,” writes the prefect in the letter. “I draw your attention to the fact thatThe actions of your minor child may incur your liability.”
Thus, French parents of arrested minors are invited to seek help from socio-educational services, otherwise they could face possible sanctions. However, no details on the nature of these sanctions were provided.
-As for foreign parents, they are summoned directly to the prefecture. In the event of absence at the summons or lack of conclusive information, the prefect announces that it will consider a review of their right of residence on national territory.
This year in Strasbourg, the figures revealed a calmer New Year than in previous years, with fewer cars burned in particular. However, Jacques Witkowski, former prefect of Hérault then of Seine-Saint-Denis, declares that he never knew of the facts “of a systemic magnitude like this.”
The parents of minors arrested during urban violence will now be held partly responsible by the Bas-Rhin prefecture.
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© Jérôme Gosset / France Télévisions
“There are minors in the street at 11 p.m. in the evening, with incendiary bottles, fireworks mortars… Parents cannot ignore this,” insists Jacques Witkowski to AFP. “I therefore wanted to strongly question them: what is your son doing in the street?”
As a reminder, out of 51 people arrested for urban violence on New Year's Eve in Strasbourg, 22 were minors.
