22.10.2026 10:52
It has emerged that 17 children detained during protests in France were held in cold, dirty, and bedless cells at the Bobigny Courthouse. Footage of the children trying to sleep on the concrete floor wrapped in thermal blankets drew reaction. While lawyers found the conditions contrary to human dignity, the Bobigny Prosecutor's Office announced that 20 children were referred to the courthouse and were planned to be released after the procedures against them were completed.
Images from the cells where children detained during protests in France were held have sparked controversy. It emerged that 17 children spent the night in cold and dirty cells without beds at the Bobigny Courthouse. While the report prepared by lawyers condemned the conditions of detention, Bobigny Public Prosecutor Alexandre de Bosschère also made a statement regarding the situation of the detained children.
17 CHILDREN SPENT THE NIGHT IN CELLS WITHOUT BEDS
After the incidents during high school students' protests and demonstrations in France, the conditions in which detained children were held came to the fore. Four lawyers appointed by the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar Association inspected eight cells in the detention section of the Bobigny Courthouse on the morning of October 21. It was determined that 17 people under the age of 18 were being held in the cells.
According to the lawyers' report, none of the children were given a bed. Some tried to sleep on the concrete floor, while others tried to sleep on concrete benches that were not large enough to lie down on. It was reported that the children, shivering from the cold, were only able to protect themselves with thermal blankets.
BOTTLES FILLED WITH URINE WERE FOUND IN THE CELLS
The lawyers' inspection also included striking findings regarding the hygiene conditions of the cells. In some cells, trash and bottles filled with urine, said to have been left by previous occupants, were found.
It was reported that at least three children were shivering from the cold, and one child needed a doctor's examination due to pain in his wrist. It was stated that one of the detained girls could not access enough sanitary pads and received help from another child. The Bar Association described the conditions in which the children were held as contrary to human dignity.
BOBIGNY PROSECUTOR: 20 CHILDREN REFERRED TO COURT
Following the images that drew reaction, Bobigny Public Prosecutor Alexandre de Bosschère made a statement regarding the judicial processes of the detained children. The prosecutor stated that 20 children were referred to the courthouse on October 21, and that 14 of them were processed within the same investigation linked to the looting of the SNIPES store in the city of Saint-Denis. De Bosschère stated that the investigation findings pointed to social media calls for the looting of stores.
The prosecutor stated that it was planned for the children to be brought first before a prosecutor's official and then before a children's judge, and for educational measures to be considered regarding them, and reported that they would be released during the day after the procedures.
HARSH REACTION FROM LAWYERS: CHILDREN'S DIGNITY MUST BE PROTECTED
The Seine-Saint-Denis Bar Association reacted to the authorities by stating that the conditions in which the children were held were unacceptable. In the statement made by the Bar Association, it was emphasized that harsh measures aimed at maintaining public order cannot justify depriving children of their human dignity.
The lawyers also determined that there were not enough beds in the detention section. It was stated that during the inspection, officials reported that there were only 10 beds and that these were given to the first people to arrive. A meeting was planned between the prosecutor's office and bar association representatives to discuss the detention conditions.
MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE GATHERED IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE
After the images emerged, more than 200 people gathered in front of the Bobigny Courthouse. At the protest attended by teachers, students, families, and lawyers, the release of the detained children was demanded. The demonstrators reacted especially to the conditions in which minors were held.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
Protests that began in France over improving education conditions and against the high cost of living turned into large-scale demonstrations across the country. Particularly in the actions on October 17, in which hundreds of thousands of people participated, clashes occurred between police and demonstrators, and businesses were looted in some cities. According to the latest figures announced by the Ministry of the Interior, approximately 2,500 people were detained, while 174 people were arrested and sent to prison.
SECURITY MEASURES INCREASED AHEAD OF NEW PROTESTS
While tensions in France did not subside, curfews were introduced in some cities. While the government decided to increase security measures ahead of new demonstrations, the CGT union called for a general strike starting November 5.