we explain to you why a curfew for minors is established in Pointe-à-Pitre

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced this measure which should last two months. The city’s mayor had threatened to resign at the end of March, expressing his discouragement in the face of delinquency, particularly among young people.

A measure of “firmness”. Lhe Minister of the Interior ordered, Wednesday April 17, the establishment of a curfew for those under 18 in Pointe-a-Pitre. The Minister of the Interior was visiting the Guadeloupean city to take stock of the “clear square” operation, initiated at the beginning of March in the archipelago. He specified that the curfew would begin Monday April 22 and would apply for the next two months. “TAll minors under the age of 18 will not be able to circulate in the streets of Point-à-Pitre after 8 p.m. and the national police will obviously apply these requests to the letter., declared Gérald Darmanin, alongside Marie Guévenoux, Minister of Overseas Territories. Franceinfo looks back at the context which led to this decision.

Pointe-à-Pitre is the scene of an outbreak of violence

Guadeloupe is currently facing an outbreak of violence. According to the prefecture, the archipelago has “six times more homicides, nine times more attempted homicides, half of which are by firearms, and 20 times more armed robberies than the national average” French. Pointe-à-Pitre, in particular, has been the scene of urban violence in recent months.

In March, a shopkeeper was killed there during a robbery. A few days later, tourists on a cruise were stabbed by a woman with psychiatric disorders while they were stopping in the city, reports Guadeloupe La 1ère. This succession of violence pushed the EELV mayor, Harry Durimal, to threaten to resign on March 24. He then described his commune as “cutthroat” in “total bankruptcy”claiming that tourists there “risked their lives”. The councilor, elected since 2020, even threatened to resign.

To respond to these incidents,operations “clean place” began Monday in the archipelago and others are planned “for the coming month”, the minister’s entourage told AFP. Gérald Darmanin announced on Wednesday “operations to fight drugs, against drug dealing points and the circulation of weapons, which is undoubtedly the main problem facing Guadeloupe today”.

More and more minors are involved

Police operations are accompanied by a curfew which specifically targets under-18s. In Pointe-à-Pitre, the percentage of minors among perpetrators has tripled in one year, reaching 38% at the start of 2024, according to the latest report from local authorities on delinquency. On franceinfo Thursday, Harry Durimel recalled that there was “nights of urban guerrilla warfare in Pointe-à-Pitre about ten days ago”. At this moment, “we noticed that young people aged 13 to 14 were burning trash cans”relates the mayor, who lists 70 fire outbreaks “on this small territory of 2.6 square km”.

The idea of ​​measures targeting those under 18 was first put forward by a Pointe-à-Pitre municipal councilor on Wednesday. In the process, Harry Durimel proposed the establishment of a curfew to Gérald Darmanin. “We cannot leave children of 12, 13, 14 years old, with weapons, walking alone in the street at 10 p.m., attacking police officers, tourists, passers-by”commented the Minister of the Interior.

The aim of this curfew is to fight against an outbreak of delinquency “more and more young, and more and more armed”justified the minister. “I have the feeling that the cry I uttered a few weeks ago has been heard”reacted Harry Durimel to AFP, raising the possibility of “make Pointe-à-Pitre (…) a laboratory of republican security”.

A series of measures to strengthen the fight against delinquency will accompany the curfew, in particular the recruitment of investigators. Ultimately, the Minister of the Interior wants to establish “a security contract” similar to that concluded in Martinique. In this territory, this system made it possible to obtain reinforcements from the anti-crime brigade, the gendarmerie and resources for video surveillance equipment.

The government wants to “remind everyone of their role as parents”

According to the authorities, the implementation of the curfew also aims to force parents to keep an eye on their children. “It’s obviously about reminding everyone of their role as parents”, affirmed the Minister of the Interior. The elected officials of Pointe-à-Pitre at the origin of the measure also estimated “that parents had to assume their responsibilities”says Harry Durimel to franceinfo.

“It is not normal for children of this age to be on the street. This measure therefore also aims to make them stay at home, under the protection of their parents.”

Harry Durimel, mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre

at franceinfo

Questioned by Guadeloupe la 1ère, the mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre detailed how these travel restrictions work. “Parents will need to ensure their child is home after 8 p.m.”, he explained. If minors are arrested after this time, “They will be returned to their parents.”

According to Gérald Darmanin, sanctions will be applied in the event of non-compliance with the curfew. But he also assured that help would be given to families in need: “Those who have social difficulties can be supported by the services of the State, the department or the town hall”. Harry Durimel added that this measure also made it possible to protect minors, who may themselves be victims of violence: “They can kill, but can also be killed”.

These announcements are part of a broader context in which the executive has addressed the issues of violence involving young people throughout the country, and has insisted on the importance of parental responsibility. Thursday, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, traveling to Viry-Châtillon, insisted that “education starts at home”. The day before, Emmanuel Macron had asked him to launch a consultation to find solutions to the “emergence of ultraviolence”particularly among the youngest, with the objective of producing a bill before the summer.