The President of the Republic plans to financially sanction the families of minors responsible for disturbances in the districts.
“There has to be an impact on the parents’ wallet because it’s the only way for them to understand”, estimated Wednesday July 5 on franceinfo Nicolas Daragon, mayor Les Républicains de Valence (Drôme). The local elected official had measures adopted in December 2020 by the City Council aimed at eliminating city aid for parents of offenders. Emmanuel Macron plans to financially sanction the families of minors responsible for disturbances in the neighborhoods. The majority “finally becomes aware of the needs of a society that has changed a lot”notes the mayor of Valencia.
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franceinfo: What aid have you removed in Valencia?
Nicholas Daragon: In December 2020, we took a decision to suspend the optional aid paid by the city to the families of delinquent minors who do not take responsibility for the education of their children. The sports check, the culture check, the municipal student contract, but also the questioning of the residential lease when families are housed with the social landlord, when they disrupt the entire neighborhood. We voted for this deliberation. I was entitled to appeals from La République en Marche Drôme. I was entitled to a transmission to the Defender of Rights by the LREM MP for the constituency. And above all, I was treated to a wonderful tweet from Mr. Véran who said that it was scandalous.
Do you have the impression that the presidential majority is following your path?
She finally becomes aware of the needs of a society that has changed a lot and where the protection of minors is obviously important, but there is also the responsibility of parents who must be questioned and also review these laws which exonerate from any liability a certain number of minors. Of course, below the age of 14, it’s complicated to pronounce convictions. From the age of 15, 16 or 17 when we are dealing with minors who are armed, the law must be changed and it must be toughened.
The Defender of Rights asked you to suspend this device?
She asked me to suspend it because it harms the children a lot. Which children, we find them in the street firing mortars at the municipal police or the national police, even at the firefighters. That is to say if it then harms their health and their education.
“I am targeting juvenile delinquents who disturbed 99.9% of the inhabitants of the neighborhoods in which they operate, who behave well and who are tired of paying taxes to come and help parents who do not assume the education of their children. .”
Nicolas Daragon, LR mayor of Valence (Drôme)at franceinfo
On what criteria do you sanction the parents?
It is the Family Rights and Duties Council that receives families when the children are drifting. It proposes educational measures. We are dealing with three types of families. Those who accept educational measures and who understand. Those who don’t understand because they don’t have the means to understand. We explain to them and in general, they accept. And then those who understand perfectly and who are provocative by explaining to us that their children are wonderful. In this case, we suspend.
How many sanctions have you executed in two years in your city of Valencia?
About twenty families were received each time. We threatened to suspend the optional aids each time, when the parents were in doubt about their child, suddenly they realized that their children were potentially the perpetrators and they accepted the educational measures. Which means the deterrence works.
Should the law be changed to apply the suspension of family allowances nationwide?
Of course the law needs to be changed. The aid that we pay is optional aid that is residual. If we look more closely, many municipalities do not have the sports check, the culture check or the municipal student contract. The only way to act is to act on the main aid, that paid by the State.
But for this it is also necessary to question the responsibility of the parents, therefore to explain to them that if they accept the educational measures, we accompany them. It’s not an automatic suspension. And on the other hand, acting in a proportionate way means that we are not going to take everything away from a family that could no longer find accommodation, could no longer feed itself. But there has to be an impact on the parents’ wallet because it’s the only way for them to understand.