The Local France

French rape survivor Gisele Pelicot reveals pain and resilience in memoirs

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:26:40 +0100

Gisele Pelicot, a survivor of mass rapes organised by her husband at their home in southern France, reveals her shock and trauma but also her resilience in an intimate book that will hit shelves next week.

French justice authority finds failings in rapist Dominique Pelicot case

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:02:04 +0100

France's General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) has exposed failings in an investigation into Dominique Pelicot, convicted in a high-profile rape case, for not acting on DNA evidence against him for a dozen years, in a report seen by AFP.

Calls for tougher prison rules in France as repeat offender rapes and murders teenage girl

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:01:44 +0200

A repeat offender has confessed to raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl in the eastern French city of Nantes, sparking outrage and calls for tougher release rules.

Former French economy minister beaten and robbed at Paris home

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 10:14:12 +0200

A former French economy minister, Thierry Breton, was robbed and beaten in his Paris home along with his wife and live-in chauffeur, sources close to the police investigation told AFP on Tuesday.

French teacher avoids jail after having sex with 14-year-old pupil

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 09:49:05 +0100

A French teacher was handed a suspended jail sentence Monday for having sex with a 14-year-old pupil, the latest of several cases fuelling debate over the age of consent.

French PM moves to pacify protesting police

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:38:44 +0200

UPDATED: France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced new measures to appease protesting police on Wednesday, who said they were fed up with a lack of resources and an ineffective justice system.

Anger as 'radical' inmate shoots French policeman

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 11:03:29 +0200

France’s Justice Minister Christiane Taubira came under fire on Tuesday after a radicalized inmate on the run after not returning to prison following temporary leave shot a policemen in the head during a botched robbery and car chase.

Singing Marseillaise is like 'karaoke': Minister

Mon, 12 May 2014 13:18:00 +0200

France’s justice minister was fending off calls for her resignation on Monday after not singing the country's national anthem, the Marseillaise, at a public event and then comparing singing along with the hymn to “karaoke”.

Redemption nears for victim of terrible injustice

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:14:00 +0100

Patrick Dils, our French face of the week, spent 15 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of murdering two children. This week he came a step closer to redemption when prosecutors revealed another man would be tried for the killings.

France ends 'costly' jury trial experiment

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:05:00 +0100

France announced this week it is to abandon jury trials in certain criminal courts, calling time on former President Nicolas Sarkozy's flagship attempt to ‘democratize’ the French justice system.

Blundering judge frees notorious 'drug ring'

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +0100

Police officers in France were left fuming after a blundering judge got in a muddle with his calendar and accidentally released ten alleged members of a notorious drug ring.

French charities ready to hand out horsemeat

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:52:00 +0100

Leading food aid charities in France have declared they would be ready to hand out tonnes of recalled ready meals containing horsemeat, saying it would be "scandalous" to waste such a huge quantity of food.

Premium cinema seats spark row over Égalité

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:50:00 +0100

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité – except when it comes to a night out at the movies, it would seem. A cinema in Paris has caused a very French scandal by charging extra for ‘premium’ seats. One outraged politician called it "segregation" on Thursday.

Two questioned in Ikea illegal spying scandal

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:38:00 +0100

Two former employees of Ikea France were questioned by a magistrate Tuesday over their alleged involvement in a spying scandal that threatened to tarnish the squeaky-clean Swedish furniture giant's image when it emerged last year.

Man guilty of posting bullets to Sarkozy

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:19:00 +0100

A man judged "a danger to himself and others" has been sentenced to jail for posting bullets to several prominent French politicians, including Nicolas Sarkozy.

Man 'shot toddler dead after cleaning row'

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:47:00 +0200

A man suspected of shooting his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter in a violent rage over the cleanliness of their flat has been charged with the toddler's murder, police said Thursday.

Woman in baby-killing probe is released

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:27:48 +0200

A French mother charged with killing eight of her newborns was released from prison Thursday under court supervision, according to a judicial source.

Villagers set up lottery to help killer

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:05:00 +0200

The village of Vezet, north of Besançon, has set up a lottery to help electrician Charles Beau, who was convicted for killing a disabled neighbour.

Volleyball Olympians caught shoplifting

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 13:30:00 +0200

Two Algerian volleyball players were caught shoplifting in the northern city of Lisieux, where the women were training for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Uproar over Kalashnikovs in French rap video

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:38:00 +0200

A rap video featuring young men firing Kalashnikovs has sparked controversy in the southern town of Nice.