Urban violence: 149 people incarcerated, more than 800 people brought before a court, announces Gérald Darmanin

If the criminal response to the violence linked to October 17 is not “extremely firm”, then “the traders and residents will take justice into their own hands”, justified the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, on Tuesday during a trip to Lille. The Minister of Justice announced “149 incarcerations” following the violence of October 17.

“We are at around 150 incarcerations” currently, “and that continues since police custody is ending and there are more than 800 people who are brought before a court” to be able to be judged, added the minister. People “who have no criminal record and who end up in prison (...), it is extremely rare, or it has never happened for property crimes,” insisted Gérald Darmanin.

“Receiving money from those who were looters”

He notably cited the example of “three individuals who had looted the Micromania store” on October 17 in Lille, aged 20 to 25, who were sentenced Monday to “10 months in prison each with a committal warrant, even though they were not known to the police and justice services.”

After having praised the work of magistrates in Lille as throughout the country, Gérald Darmanin addressed the question of the “civil response” so that traders, “the first victims of what happened this weekend”, could “receive money from those who were looters”. The culprits “must make reparations,” insisted the minister.

Gérald Darmanin also announced that he will hold a meeting on Wednesday morning with Medef, representatives of traders, commercial courts and industrial tribunals to ensure that “justice is also there to hear the economic difficulties” of businesses affected by the violence and looting.

“Most of the immediate appearances” will take place Tuesday and Wednesday

The first immediate appearances took place on Monday, mainly against individuals arrested ahead of the demonstrations. “There have been a lot of prison sentences with warrants of committal, that is to say that people go directly to prison, including for a few months, including for short prison sentences,” added Gérald Darmanin, recalling that “most of the immediate appearances” will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Minister of Justice also reported the opening of around “fifty judicial inquiries, that is to say judges who were referred to be able to carry out criminal investigations”. Regarding “the looters” or “the people who attacked the police”, Gérald Darmanin observed that they were “95% men” and “70% adults”. “In the arrests, there is everything, people with immigrant backgrounds, people who are foreigners, but there are also people who are perfectly integrated, who are French,” he further underlined.