French PM says boarding school key step in preventing juvenile violence

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal continued his offensive against juvenile delinquency in Nice, with a visit to an experimental educational boarding school to illustrate the prevention aspects of a plan he unveiled last week in Paris.

The French prime minister visited the Lycée du Parc Impérial in Nice on Monday, where an educational boarding school is being tested during the school holidays.

Attal took part in a discussion with teenagers taking part in the course – some of whom were reluctant – as well as with parents, local political leaders and volunteers participating in the experiment.

"We must not be afraid of words, there is a problem of violence among young people" and "tackling this problem is one of my government's top priorities", Attal declared at the end of the discussion.

Investing in prevention

Last Thursday, Attal announced the launch of "very strong measures in terms of punishment" in the combat against delinquency during a visit to the southern Paris suburb of Viry-Châtillon.

It was here where 15-year-old Shemseddine was beatten to death by a gang on 5 April.

The French head of government pushed ahead with his message in Nice, saying: "if we concentrate on intervention at the time of punishment – in response to acts of delinquency and violence – we would be missing a large part of the issue: ensuring that these acts of violence and delinquency do not happen [in the first place]".

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