French National Assembly Adopts Child Protection Bill with Life Imprisonment for Serial Rape of Minors Under 15

On July 21, 2026, the French National Assembly adopted the 'child protection' bill in first reading with 378 votes in favor and 7 against. The bill includes a government-backed amendment providing for life imprisonment for serial rape of minors under 15, which passed with 258 votes in favor and 84 against. This measure had been rejected earlier during the first reading on July 15-17 due to opposition from left-wing deputies who denounced it as a repressive measure masking insufficient resources for investigations and prevention. The text also includes the imprescriptibility of sexual crimes against minors, adopted via an amendment by deputy Arnaud Bonnet on July 16. The bill was opposed by left-wing groups including Socialists, The Ecologists, La France Insoumise, and the Democratic and Republican Left group, who described it as a 'catch-all' text. It was supported by centrist and right-wing groups, as well as far-right parties including the National Rally.