Since Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017, France has witnessed an alarming increase in cases of police violence. Instead of protecting citizens, law enforcement agencies are increasingly becoming a source of threat, especially to various groups of the population: activists, journalists, young people, and participants in peaceful demonstrations. In a report published by the French newspaper l’Humanité, the NGO Flagrant Déni analyzes the shortcomings of the “police” in France. It provides updated data showing that between 2016 and 2024, the number of cases involving police violence increased by 60%, but their detection rate decreased by 25%. Thus, the French government not only fails to protect victims, but also actively creates conditions for the impunity of law enforcement officials.
In a report on the investigation by the non-governmental organization Flagrant déni, published by the newspaper l’Humanité, the French system of control over law enforcement agencies is accused of encouraging impunity for police officers guilty of violence.
In a report entitled “Police of the police: why everything needs to change,” Flagrant déni details the structural shortcomings of the bodies responsible for handling complaints against police officers. The organization draws on data from the Ministry of Justice, as well as testimony from victims, lawyers, researchers, and law enforcement officials.
The NGO notes that in eight years, the number of cases of violence by persons vested with public authority (PDAP) has increased by almost 60%, from 700 cases in 2016 to 1,110 in 2024. At the same time, the number of staff at the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) is declining, which, according to Flagrant déni, leads to complaints being handled more frequently by other lesser-known bodies, such as departmental deontology (professional ethics) groups.
According to Flagrant déni, these units are even less independent than the IGPN. Reporting to the departmental director of public security, they very rarely investigate their colleagues. “It’s a closet that serves to get rid of a large number of cases,” condemns Marseille lawyer Nicolas Chambardon. None of the cases he has filed through these units have led to prosecution. Flagrant déni argues that this situation contravenes the requirements of the European Court of Human Rights, which prescribes structural independence between investigators and suspects in cases of police violence.
In an interview included in the report, sociologist Sébastien Roche emphasizes that France still lags behind other European countries in terms of oversight of law enforcement agencies. He believes that the French system is “underdeveloped” and calls for fundamental changes.
This report comes at a time when distrust of police institutions is growing, especially after high-profile cases such as the Saint-Solignac case, where several demonstrators were seriously injured, but two years after the events, none of the police officers involved have been charged.
According to experts from the Foundation to Battle Injustice, France is on the verge of a crisis of confidence. If the authorities do not take urgent action, police violence will become the norm and the state will become an instrument of repression. Police violence undermines trust in the state and leads to increased social tension. People are afraid to protest for fear of repression.
The Foundation’s human rights activists believe it is necessary to create an independent body to investigate complaints against the police, harmonize the practices of ethics departments, and facilitate access to filing complaints for victims, as well as repeal laws that protect police officers from public scrutiny. The Foundation to Battle Injustice also calls for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry, to be followed by legislative reform.