France social unrest police custody and prosecution figures, Digi Mart USA News (France): Nearly 5,000 people have been taken into police custody in just over two weeks, according to French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who gave the figures on BFMTV-RMC on Tuesday, November 3. He presented the judicial results of demonstrations that have taken place since October 17 and said they reflect the firmness of the authorities.
Darmanin said there were 4,914 police custody detentions and that 70% of those affected are adults. “This clearly shows that this is a movement of adults and not a continuation of high school students,” he said.
The minister also detailed the follow-up to these arrests. According to his figures, prosecutors launched 2,290 prosecutions, and 1,820 people were referred to the courts.
He also reported “404 prison sentences and 329 incarcerations,” describing the penal response as “extremely strong.” The figures reflect the minister’s statement and do not, on their own, show how many people were ultimately convicted.
Darmanin also discussed demonstrations over the weekend of October 31, after which 240 police custody detentions were recorded. That number was lower than on previous days of mobilization.
According to the minister, the profile of those arrested has changed. On October 17, between 60% and 70% had no prior criminal record, while on October 31 a larger share were already known to the justice system.
Based on this, Darmanin concluded that the “most violent” individuals continue to take part in the disorder, while the looting seen at the start of the movement had decreased. His interpretation accompanies a particularly high judicial toll after several weekends of tension.
