The magistrates’ union criticises the outcome of the review of reports of abuse

Paris – 16.07.2026: The report first describes a major clean-up operation: according to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, the French justice system has re-examined nearly 85,000 complaints and proceedings concerning sexual offences against minors. Of these, 970 cases were reportedly classified as priorities. But on Thursday, the judiciary strongly challenged the political presentation of this considerable effort.

Aurélien Martini, deputy secretary-general of the Union syndicale des magistrats, said on France Inter that the operation had not solved the fundamental problem. His warning concerns an impression that could form among the public: re-examining cases does not mean that investigations have been completed, that the facts have been dealt with by the justice system, or, even less so, that the children concerned are safe.

According to Aurélien Martini, the figures announced by Darmanin could only have been achieved by postponing other tasks. This is a serious accusation, targeting the day-to-day work of public prosecutors’ offices and courts. In addition to cases of sexual violence, they must notably handle violent offences, family proceedings and ongoing investigations. The union therefore calls for the consequences of this exceptional operation to be clearly set out.

The trigger for the nationwide review was the case of eleven-year-old Lyhanna. Following the revelation of possible failings, the minister had tasked prosecutors general with re-examining all complaints and reports related to children. The figure now published reveals the scale of the task: it was not a matter of a few isolated cases left without follow-up, but a body of tens of thousands of cases from different regions and at various stages of proceedings.

The 970 cases designated as priorities do not automatically mean that a suspicion has been confirmed or that persons implicated have already been identified. According to the available information, they rather correspond to proceedings for which continued handling appeared to require particular speed. For alleged victims who are or were minors, time can play a decisive role: for protective measures, the preservation of evidence and the burden that lengthy proceedings represent for those concerned.

The criticism from the Union syndicale des magistrats thus goes to the heart of the debate. Success does not depend solely on the number of cases reviewed, but on what happens next: the availability of investigators, sufficient staffing in prosecutors’ offices and understandable information for families. In recent months, the judicial administration has already issued specific guidelines for handling sexual violence against minors.

Darmanin had announced this review in response to serious concerns about the handling of such proceedings. Aurélien Martini now calls for the public not to be reassured on the basis of an interim report. For those concerned and their relatives, the essential thing is not that a case has been reopened. What matters is that every specific report is carefully examined and that any criminal proceedings are conducted without avoidable delay.