French National Assembly Votes to Make Crimes Against Minors Imprescriptible
On July 16, 2026, the French National Assembly voted to extend imprescriptibility—previously reserved for crimes against humanity—to crimes committed against minors. The amendment, proposed by Green MP Arnaud Bonnet, was adopted with 93 votes in favor and 51 against. Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin supported the measure but warned of potential unconstitutionality. The vote occurred during examination of a child protection bill. The proposal follows recommendations from the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (November 2023 report) and builds on previous reforms: in 2018, the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors was extended to 30 years after the victim reaches majority, and a 2021 law introduced a 'rolling' prescription principle. The measure is not unanimous, particularly within the judicial community, with some arguing it would disrupt the penal code's severity scale.
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