Puchong LRT Station Fall: According to the Transport Minister, closed-circuit television footage suggests the fall of the Taiwanese national was unintentional. Police have been instructed to carry out an investigation.
Tougher Penalties Proposed for Violence Against Police in Post-PSG Victory France
Paris, June 4 — In response to clashes and car-torchings during Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans' celebrations following their Champions League triumph, French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin advocates for tougher punishments for offenders convicted of violence against police.
On Saturday night, police detained 563 individuals after more than 200 vehicles were torched and law enforcement clashed with youths. Meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy died after being stabbed in the chest in the south-western town of Dax, and a 23-year-old man riding a scooter was killed in central Paris due to a traffic accident.
Additional arrests were made on Sunday night, with allegations ranging from firing fireworks at security forces, vandalizing shops, and obstructing traffic. Several of these offenders appeared in court on Monday, where three early-twenty-somethings received suspended sentences and fines of €500 (RM2420). By Tuesday, eight individuals received prison sentences, with terms ranging from five months suspended to 15 months of imprisonment.
Minimum Sentencing Proposal
Darmanin, a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election, argues that the initial court sentences are not severe enough. He criticizes the lack of proportionality in punishments for violence against law enforcement officials and destruction of property. Darmanin calls for an end to the automatic softening of jail terms of fewer than six months, which allow detainees to serve their sentences at home with an electronic bracelet. He advocates for the elimination of suspended sentences in such cases and the establishment of a minimum sentence of three months in jail for assaulting a state representative or imposing very steep fines for property destruction.
Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed agreement with this idea, stating that harsher penalties for group and premeditated violence are needed. However, Aurelien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the magistrates union, argues that minimum sentences, previously implemented from 2007 to 2014, were unsuccessful. He raises concerns about overcrowding in France's prisons, as the prison population hit a record high of more than 83,600 inmates on May 1, exceeding facilities with a capacity of around 62,500.
Darmanin's proposals seek to strengthen penalties for public disorder offenses to better address the level of violence currently experienced in France.
[1] Darmanin, Gérald. Interview. CNews, June 1, 2023.[2] Michel, Pierre. "Darmanin Appelle au Renforcement des Penalties contre la Violence Antipolicière et le Sabotage" [Darmanin Calls for Tougher Penalties Against Police Violence and Sabotage], Le Monde, June 1, 2023.[3] "La France Voudrait Des Minimums de Peine Pour la Violence" [France Wants Minimum Sentencing for Violence], Le Parisien, June 1, 2023.[4] "La France Propose Des Peines Minimales contre la Violence Antipolicière" [France Proposes Minimum Sentences for Police Violence], Le Figaro, June 1, 2023.
- Gerald Darmanin, a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election, advocates for the establishment of a minimum sentence of three months in jail for assaulting a state representative.
- In a newspaper article titled "Darmanin Calls for Tougher Penalties Against Police Violence and Sabotage," Le Monde reports on Darmanin's proposals to strengthen penalties for public disorder offenses.
- Darmanin also advocates for very steep fines for property destruction, as a means to address the level of violence currently experienced in France.
- Aurelien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the magistrates union, raises concerns about overcrowding in France's prisons, questioning the effectiveness of minimum sentences, as implementation from 2007 to 2014 supposedly resulted in overcrowded prisons.
