NaxalbariZindabad
22nd May 2009, 18:20
This story is currently making headlines in France:
A controversy has erupted after police in the south-western French town of Floirac arrested two boys aged six and 10 on suspicion of bicycle theft as they left their school, the daily Sud Ouest reported Thursday. Witnesses said that the arrests, which took place Tuesday, involved two police cars and six police officers and that, according to one witness cited by the daily, "they treated the boys like dangerous criminals."
"It's shameful," said Aisha Ouachin, the mother of the 10-year-old. "There are other ways to determine if the bicycle is his or not."
After two hours of questioning, it was determined that the bicycle did belong to Ouachin's son and both boys were released.
[source here (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/269802,police-arrest-boys-aged-6-and-10-for-bicycle-theft.html) -- in english]The woman who caused the investigation by telling the police the two boys stole her daughter's bicycle has now retracted her claim since she found the bicycle elsewhere. However, the police still seized the two boys' bicycles "for the duration of the investigation". [source here (http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/05/21/01016-20090521ARTFIG00306-arretes-devant-leur-ecole-a-6-et-10-ans-pour-un-vol-de-velo-.php) -- in french]
The two boys were arrested in front of their classmates, so the school's principal said he'll visit each class to explain the situation and reassure the children. Some of them thought one of the kids was in jail since he didn't show up the next day (he doesn't want to go back to school). [source here (http://www.libebordeaux.fr/libe/2009/05/le-vol-de-v%C3%A9lo-qui-fait-d%C3%A9railler-la-police-1.html) -- in french]
Departmental security director Albert Doutre told a press conference that he fully supports the police officers' actions. He said that this was a very commonplace affair and that he was surprised to see it cause a polemic. [source here (http://www.lepost.fr/article/2009/05/21/1545276_deux-enfants-de-6-et-10-ans-interpelles-devant-leur-ecole-par-six-policiers-une-affaire-banale.html) -- in french].
A controversy has erupted after police in the south-western French town of Floirac arrested two boys aged six and 10 on suspicion of bicycle theft as they left their school, the daily Sud Ouest reported Thursday. Witnesses said that the arrests, which took place Tuesday, involved two police cars and six police officers and that, according to one witness cited by the daily, "they treated the boys like dangerous criminals."
"It's shameful," said Aisha Ouachin, the mother of the 10-year-old. "There are other ways to determine if the bicycle is his or not."
After two hours of questioning, it was determined that the bicycle did belong to Ouachin's son and both boys were released.
[source here (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/269802,police-arrest-boys-aged-6-and-10-for-bicycle-theft.html) -- in english]The woman who caused the investigation by telling the police the two boys stole her daughter's bicycle has now retracted her claim since she found the bicycle elsewhere. However, the police still seized the two boys' bicycles "for the duration of the investigation". [source here (http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2009/05/21/01016-20090521ARTFIG00306-arretes-devant-leur-ecole-a-6-et-10-ans-pour-un-vol-de-velo-.php) -- in french]
The two boys were arrested in front of their classmates, so the school's principal said he'll visit each class to explain the situation and reassure the children. Some of them thought one of the kids was in jail since he didn't show up the next day (he doesn't want to go back to school). [source here (http://www.libebordeaux.fr/libe/2009/05/le-vol-de-v%C3%A9lo-qui-fait-d%C3%A9railler-la-police-1.html) -- in french]
Departmental security director Albert Doutre told a press conference that he fully supports the police officers' actions. He said that this was a very commonplace affair and that he was surprised to see it cause a polemic. [source here (http://www.lepost.fr/article/2009/05/21/1545276_deux-enfants-de-6-et-10-ans-interpelles-devant-leur-ecole-par-six-policiers-une-affaire-banale.html) -- in french].