French Parliament Restores Mandatory School Violence Interviews and Bans Cousin Marriage

In a unanimous vote, the French lower house reinstated the compulsory annual interview designed to detect violence against children, a key element of the comprehensive bill against sexual and gender-based abuse. The measure will apply to all pupils from preschool to the end of secondary education, but full implementation is scheduled for 2032, with four mandatory interviews spread across the schooling period beforehand.

The compromise amendment was introduced by MoDem deputy Erwan Balanant and socialist rapporteur Céline Thiébault-Martinez after negotiations with the original coalition authors. Lawmakers also approved a new specific incest offence and an outright ban on marriage between first cousins, though the Rassemblement national chose to abstain. Education minister Édouard Geffray highlighted staffing challenges for the programme but affirmed its potential benefits, while critics warned that the delayed rollout reduces its effectiveness.