National Assembly passes bill imposing life imprisonment for the repeated rape of children

Paris – July 21, 2026: On Tuesday, the French National Assembly voted to impose life imprisonment for serial rape when at least one of the victims is under 15 years old. In the second deliberation, 258 lawmakers voted in favor of tougher penalties and 84 against. The provision had initially been rejected on July 17 but was put to a vote again at the government’s request.

The provision expands Article 222-26 of the Criminal Code. In the future, life imprisonment may be imposed when the rape of a child under 15 is committed in conjunction with one or more additional rapes of other victims. Until now, this maximum penalty had applied in particular to rape involving torture or particularly cruel abuse.

The legislature therefore links the new penalty not to every individual case of abuse, but to the combination of the age of at least one victim and multiple acts of rape. The wording also covers acts against other victims who are not necessarily under 15 years old. The criminal court will continue to decide on findings of guilt, the specific sentence, and the individual execution of the sentence.

The debate highlighted a fundamental conflict in French criminal policy. Left-wing lawmakers had rejected the provision during the first reading. They questioned whether a harsher maximum sentence would effectively improve the investigation of sexual violence and pointed to shortcomings in prevention, investigations, and victim support. Supporters, on the other hand, described the reform as a necessary response to particularly serious repeat offenses.

In French law, life imprisonment does not automatically mean incarceration until death. Under the current Criminal Code, the standard security period for a life sentence is 18 years. Courts may extend it to a maximum of 22 years by a decision stating special reasons. During this period, parole, leave permits, and certain open detention arrangements are not permitted.

The tougher penalties are part of a government bill on child protection, which the National Assembly passed as a whole at first reading on Tuesday. This legislative package also includes changes concerning the investigation of and protection against violence against minors. The government has declared the procedure expedited, and the Senate will consider the bill next.

The resolution is not yet law in force. Before the law can be promulgated, both chambers must agree on identical wording. However, the passage of this article again shows that the government was able to push through a core criminal-law demand despite its initial defeat in the plenary session.