Anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen has given an update on the situation of the children of jihadists repatriated from Syria. According to his statements to France Info, the 364 minors spread over 59 French departments currently do not present any major problems.
Mr. Christen stressed that these children, under the supervision of juvenile judges, are subject to coordinated monitoring by the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office. He was keen to dispel the concerns expressed by former prosecutor François Molins in 2018, who described them as potential "time bombs".
The prosecutor said that the situation of these children varies considerably, ranging from very young to adolescents. He also made a clear distinction between these repatriated minors and those recently involved in terrorism cases in France, stressing that they are different groups.
France changed its policy in 2022, abandoning the "case-by-case" approach that had earned it criticism.
* i24news contributed to this article.
