French minister eyes tougher sentences after violence mars PSG celebrations
French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Tuesday said he wanted tougher punishments for anyone convicted of violence against police, after clashes and car-torching this weekend marred celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League triumph.
Police detained hundreds of people during festivities following PSG's victory in the European football showcase in Germany on Saturday and their triumphant return home the following day.
PSG thrashed Inter Milan by a record 5-0 in the final to win the biggest prize in European club football for the first time.
The victory sparked delirious celebrations in France, that were marred by some violence.
Police arrested 563 people on Saturday night, the interior ministry said, after more than 200 cars were torched and police clashed with youths.
In the southwest town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest.
A 23-year-old man riding a scooter in central Paris also died after a vehicle hit him.
Authorities detained 79 others on Sunday night, including for allegedly firing fireworks at security forces, trying to vandalise shops and blocking traffic.
Some of these appeared in court on Monday, with three men in their early twenties receiving suspended sentences of two to eight months, along with a 500-euro ($570) fine, the Paris prosecutor's office said.
Others were set to appear before a magistrate on Tuesday.
Darmanin, who has expressed interest in standing in the 2027 presidential election, argued the first court sentences were not tough enough.
"Some of the sentences for violence, including against law enforcement officers and for destruction of property, are not proportional to the level of violence our country is experiencing," the former interior minister said on X.
"The law needs to radically change," he added.
Darmanin called for an end to obligatory adjustments for jail terms of fewer than six months, which for example allow detainees to serve time at home with an electronic bracelet.
He called for an end to suspended sentences in such cases and a law to set up a "systematic minimum sentence" for those found guilty.
He suggested "a minimum of three months in jail for any assault against a representative of the state or a very steep fine for any destruction".
Aurelien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the magistrates union, responded that minimum sentences — previously tried from 2007 to 2014 — did not work.
If the goal is "to put more people in prison, it's physically not possible," he said, alluding to overcrowding.
France's prison population hit a record high on May 1, with more than 83,600 inmates held in facilities that have a capacity of around 62,500, justice ministry data has shown.
Socialist leader Olivier Faure added that the judiciary should first and foremost be "fair" and examine each individual case, not respond "to collective emotion".
The right-wing head of the Paris region Valerie Pecresse supported Darmanin's idea, saying it was the "only hope for this violence, this ransacking to never happen again".
Receiving the triumphant team at the Elysee palace on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called "unacceptable" violence during the festivities.
Many of the stars of PSG, one of the youngest in the competition, are drawn from the huge football talent pool in the Paris suburbs.
A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match.
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