Nantes (44) – An ultra-dangerous teenager involved in the 2019 shootings detained for 5 years without trial: the Constitutional Council denounces a violation of the rights of minors

According to Actu Nantes , the Constitutional Council ruled on June 27, 2025, unconstitutional a provision of the Code of Criminal Justice for Minors (CJPM) that allowed a teenager from Nantes to be held in pre-trial detention for five years without trial. This minor had participated in the 2019 shootings in the Bellevue district of Nantes, linked to drug trafficking. He was sentenced on June 24, 2025, to seven years in prison , a sentence he had almost served before being tried.

His lawyer, Sobieslaw Bemmoussat , had referred a Priority Question of Constitutionality (QPC) to the Sages, denouncing an infringement of the principle of the best interests of the child . The Council upheld this argument, stressing that minors must benefit from an appropriate procedure , distinct from that of adults, especially in matters of deprivation of liberty.

The judges decided to postpone the repeal of the contested provision until 1 July 2026 , in order to avoid a complete absence of a legal framework. Until then, any continued pre-trial detention of minors over the age of 16 must be specifically justified and monitored by the courts .

This decision does not change the conviction of the young man from Nantes, but it could change the legislation for all minors awaiting trial.